If you are on social media, you must have come across several jokes and opinions revolving around the ineffectiveness of online classes. So, what is the solution? Read on to know.
We are surviving in times that no one imagined we would ever come across. Before the introduction of COVID-19, how many of us were actually aware of the ways, means, or even the existence of online classes? But like everything else, Corona Virus Has changed the way we live, what we believe, and how we carry ourselves. The online mode of study is as new to the teachers as it is for the students. Teaching online is obviously different from classroom teaching. As a result, it’s imperative we make changes accordingly so as to make the classes equally effective and informative.
Following are some important tips to make the online classes more effective:
1. Use Multimedia
The normal lecture involves simply the professor/teacher speaking and the students listening to them. Online classes have to be different in the ways of teaching, the type of resources, etc. Students won’t be able to see your gestures and in the absence of class, continuously looking at screens is a task for anyone. Use multimedia like videos, audios, demonstrations, presentations etcetera to make the teaching more fascinating and immersive. Students are more interested in visual modes than plain 2D teaching.
2. Conduct group activities
In online classes, you can’t watch or observe if all the students are actually participating in the class or not. They can easily be present in the list of participants in the application but might be distracted or simply absent after switching off the audio and video. Asking them all to switch them on would crash your class technically. So the best way to ensure engagement is to conduct group activities where each student is liable to present themselves. Get them into discussions, ask them to read out assignments randomly, or indulge them in a debate or anything regarding the subject. This would automatically put the student on alert mode and they’d have to perform anyhow. Attention restored!
3. Shorten the Lesson in Parts
Monotony can easily become a deal-breaker and what can be more monotonous than an hour-long lecture on a single topic? In this era of social media, people can have an extremely short attention span. They don’t watch a 15 minute YouTube video, let alone listen to a study lecture attentively when the teacher isn’t looking at them. To curb this problem, break your lesson in small chunks. After each part finishes, arrange a question-answer session. Take a small interactive break, insert colorful pictures as examples, and make your digital resource engaging with the use of a few colours to signify a change in parts and formats.
4. Be Prepared for Anything
Although the technology is sufficient in itself, there can be many hiccups you would face because of poor Internet connection, battery, or some technical problem in the device itself. So it’s better to be prepared for anything that might come your way. Fix alternative ways of assignment submission through other mediums beforehand, record the live lectures, use pre-recorded lectures to overcome the problem of hindrance due to bad connection. Communicate requirements to the students before the class as well. Check your connections and keep alternate device ready in-case anything collapses. Use easily available resources and avoid using exclusive material that can’t be obtained if at all things go awry.
5. Give and Take Feedback
The key to a good class is a good understanding between the teacher and students. You must know what the students expect from you and you must convey what you expect from them as a student. For this, the exchange of feedback at the end of sessions is extremely integral.
Ask your students if they liked the lecture. Are they satisfied with what you taught and how you presented them? Was there anything that could’ve been explained better, in an improved way? Whatever feedback you receive, if possible try to incorporate them in your next class. When someone gives feedback, they would be interested in knowing its outcome hence would pay more attention. The class would seem more personalized to them. Your feedback would state the fact that you’re attentive to the student's activities which would make them more mindful of their participation too.
6. Personal Interaction
We tend to take the people we know and understand personally more seriously. Students study more sincerely in the class of their favourite teachers or those who personally interact with them. If you feel comfortable, you must start interacting with your students about topics outside the studies personally so that they feel more connected to you. Make sure you interact with everyone and not just a selected handful of students. It can be anything from small talks to pleasantries and daily life experiences. Set the tone of your class as light and then start your lecture. You’d definitely witness better student engagement and an effective class.
7. State Expectations in Prior
Rather than expecting things and the lesson to fall in place automatically, the students need to understand their responsibility on their own, it’s sensible to convey your expectations beforehand to the pupils. Tell them that by what date and in what way you want the assignments to be submitted, the lessons to be conducted, and the students' code of conduct as well. Give an outline of the course to be covered primarily. It’s better to avoid any last-minute fuss.
Not only the teachers, but it’s also the students' responsibility to take the classes seriously and give their hundred percent in order to learn better.
After all, we know that change is the only constant. Life must go on. Whatever the situation is, education mustn’t be compromised by anything. We must learn how to improvise as modern problems require modern solutions. Human beings are known to be adjustable and flexible in their problem-solving approach. Let’s come together, learn together, and grow together.
Written By - Saakshi Priyadarshini
Edited By - Sravanthi Cheerladinne
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