Adjusting to online learning can be tough, especially in the interaction between instructors and learners. The only basis an instructor has is the availability of the learner to participate and appear on the screen yet that can be deceived.
So, in order to attract full concentration as much as possible, instructors must apply the following tips on how to engage smartly:
Engaging the Current Online Learners
During this pandemic, the adoption of the online teaching format brings a reality about the difference between the learners’ financial capabilities. Some have a good connection while others struggle to own a personal device for learning. However, an online instructor must first engage with the current learners online and proceed to reach out from there.
One of the current problems of online learners is attention span. As mentioned, online presence can be deceiving since there can be many ways to fake one’s online presence. So, in order to catch their interest and retain them, here are a few tricks you as an instructor can apply:
Catchy Videos
Before you go deeper into a certain lesson or chapter, try to make catchy videos for the introduction. This may exhaust your creativity, but do remember to keep it relevant and short, like around 2 to 5 minutes. The purpose is to get the learners into a mood for learning.
Participation During Live Sessions
Treat the online class as if you are in a classroom. Engage the students through recitations and Q&As. In that way, you can also check if the learners are absorbing what you’ve discussed. Also, you can assess how thought-provoking you have to be.
Tracking Your Students’ Performances
In an online learning platform, you have limited references for a student’s performance. Sometimes, it may boil down to attendance, submission of activities, and major exams. Fortunately, with the use of other digital tools, you can add more monitoring strategies like adding a notification if a student views the learning materials you’ve sent.
Constant Feedback
Feedback is easy for those who can go online conveniently. However, there are those who are barely able to keep up with the online class due to limitations. Reaching them regularly can give them the inspiration to move forward and keep on trying for excellence.