5 Sure Shot Ways Of Ensuring Engagement In Online Classes

Posted by Kunal kapoor on January 18th, 2019

Online learning platforms have changed the way people learn and teach. Online learning has transformed the landscape of education and offer low-cost education and learning than the conventional classroom setup. In fact, there are various e-learning platforms which offer free of cost of information.

Many online instructors are collaborating with the online learning platforms and they are also paid money for the online tutorial and courses they create. However, as the trend gets picked up, there arise some issues as well. We have technology at our disposal that we can use to the max to get better results and improved productivity.

Although the online classrooms are being loved by many as brings people from all age group on the same platform to learn new things. The skeptics still doubt the ability of the online classrooms over the physical classes.

The challenge for the online instructors and e-learning platforms is to make the classes fruitful and engaging from their counterparts. Let’s take a look at 5 ways of improving and ensuring engagement in an online class.

Setting the Right Tone

Setting the right tone in the online classroom before the live session commences prepares the trainees and learners for the session. They have expectations from the live sessions. The online instructor can try the following steps before starting the online session:

• Share the agenda of the session with the trainees and the results that you expect.
• Share study material before the session to let the learners come prepared for the class.
• Send a reminder to the learners about the session.

Have a Quality Start

The first few minutes of the session will set the tone of the online session. No online instructor would want his/her students or trainees to lose out in the starting. The following steps can be done:

• Ensure all the teaching devices are working well, such as sound or video equipment. The online instructor an ask learners if they face any issues in accessing the feed.
• Ensure the learners feel at home. The online instructor can start with an introduction round as an ice-breaker.
• A good story is loved by everyone! The online instructor can start with a story and later arrive at the session’s objective.
• The online instructor can also ask questions about the subject matter. This will let him/her know the level of knowledge of the learner.

Make Session Worthwhile

Once the tone of the session is set, the next step is to let the learners enjoy the session. To ensure that the session is engaging till the very end, the following steps tips can be followed:

• To make session engaging, multimedia (images, videos, infographics, quiz, etc.) can be added to the content. These visual communication pieces should be interactive in nature.
• The importance of pauses must not be forgotten. The online instructor must use pauses effectively and let the students absorb information. Breaking the narrative in small sections and pauses between them can let the content sink in.
• Interaction is the key to engagement! Polls can be used to gauge the opinions of the learners about the subject matter can be used. The polls would additionally help the learners to focus on their thoughts.

Learning must not stop with Session

The final part of the online session is critical as it decides what the learner or trainee would take back as a conclusion. The online instructor must make it interactive giving 10-15 minutes to the students for interaction and discussion. The following steps can be taken:

• Provide an assignment to the learners.
• The online instructor must collect feedback from each learner individually. This can be done during or after the session.
• Suggest reading material for the subject matter discussed in the session and would be discussed in the next session.
• With the assignment, the agenda for the next session must also be discussed.
• Give rewards and certificates for assessments.

Engage in the Best Practices

Devotion to the best practices would ensure that all the benchmarks set for excellence are met. The following practice points can be followed:

• Teach online with clean presentations and consistent design elements. Ensure that slides are not cluttered with a lot of information and there is some takeaway in every session.
• Maintain distance from the mic so the audio is clean. Turn off other devices that may add to the background noise. And close the windows.
• The webcam must be at the eye level to ensure the interaction with learners is face-to-face. In case the camera is below the eye level, it may seem that the online instructor is looking downwards.

The online sessions offer content and information for all age groups and all professional domains. And the success of the online session depends on how sincerely the session is delivered in the best possible manner.

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