There are two types of students in every classroom: those who will always raise their hand to participate and those who won’t. It doesn’t matter if they are introverted, unsure of what to say, or plain tired; getting kids to participate in discussions can be challenging.
It is essential to develop skills to teach and learn online, but it has been crucial due to the many changes caused by the pandemic. Blended learning, which is the same as hybrid learning, doesn’t seem new.
All signs point to blended teaching being the future of education. Whether you teach at the K-12, college, or university level, we want to show you how to increase student engagement.
Virtual Learning And Student Engagement – What Works?
Virtual learning will have many of the same factors as in traditional classrooms, and these are also the things you use every day in your teaching job.
A welcome video can be prepared to introduce yourself, describe the course, and discuss the plans for the student-teacher relationship. Ask your students questions and offer them options. They will be more open to engaging if they can work in their way.
Approaches to Increasing Participation in Virtual Classroom
1) Gamify Assignments
Gamification is a way to engage learners in virtual sessions. Gamifying and rewarding learners with rewards can increase their engagement and performance.
You could award a badge for correctly answering a question or creating leaderboards to highlight student accomplishments, which is possible only through e-learning platforms.
2) Encourage Collaboration
Without the proper collaboration, a virtual classroom session can become tiresome. Educators must encourage this by assigning group projects and activities just like traditional classrooms. Learners will build relationships with peers and learn to appreciate the unique perspectives of others.
3) The Right Technology Tool
Educators must choose the right platform to improve learning outcomes in virtual classrooms. A user-friendly platform will facilitate learning and communication, and it should include features such as polls, Q&A, and hand-raising. Students will only stay engaged if they feel connected to the class.
4) Use Visual Learning
Visual aids are proven to be the most effective way for students to learn. Although educators still need to impart knowledge in the traditional way (discussions, lectures, tests), students will benefit from visual elements such as graphics and videos. Educators can add virtual tours and animated clips to enhance learning.
5) Request Feedback
Asking your audience is a great way to improve your virtual class. Start by having regular feedback sessions, preferably one-on-1. Sometimes students may not feel comfortable speaking out publicly.
Teachers can encourage students to give feedback via emails, phone calls, and other methods. Teachers can also create anonymous polls that allow learners to voice their opinions. You can encourage learners to be responsible for their learning by asking them for feedback.
Summary
WizIQ has emerged in virtual education, offering live and recorded sessions for K-12 education and competitive exam preparation. These tools are handy for both educators and learners. However, educators must continue to increase participation in their online classrooms.