How can you use active listening to improve online tutoring engagement?

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Active listening is important in online learning tutoring because attentiveness is required to ensure the lesson is being understood and students and teacher is able to share, gain clarity to achieve the objective of the lesson without losing anyone. Active listening keeps students engaged in online tutoring so creativity is required so that students are constantly engaged, and are able to reflect, summarize, and share their understanding which helps to store information in their memory.

Active listening is a powerful tool for online classes as there is no physical interface. Active listening gives that gap where a student understands the topic and also can raise his or her doubts. This makes a session interactive and other students also get the benefits of the discussion as same concept explained in a different way could be more effective for some students to understand the topic

Online tutors should listen carefully to understand what students need and to connect with them. By paying attention to both words and nonverbal cues, tutors can better explain things in a way that helps students learn.

This can be done through the use of various methodologies and by ensuring all learning styles are being addressed. It is important to keep students actively engaged, by questions or by even the way the voice is being utilized. Online lessons must be fun, motivating, and address multiple intelligences.

Active listening needs to be implemented by giving concepts and questioning students regarding applications of those concepts. If they fail, give clues which brings them closer to the application of the concepts. I utilise these techniques in my teaching very effectively

Absolutely agree! ?? Active listening is a game-changer in online tutoring – it boosts everything from engagement to student confidence.??

Due to the lack of face-to-face interaction, online tutoring may be filled with distractions, possible misunderstandings, and issues developing a personal connection. Communication might be affected by distractions in both the tutor's and the students' ends. For example, it is easier to misunderstand tone or meaning when two people are not in the same location. Plus, it's difficult to have a genuine connection when there is no physical presence.

In online tutoring, active listening comes with its own challenges. Communication barriers: It’s hard to show you’re engaged through a screen. Simple nods don’t convey well digitally, and tech can limit feedback at the right time. With limited physical cues, it’s easy to misread your student. Environmental and technical distractions: Handling an online platform itself needs attention, and focus can easily shift to other unexpected events, which means broken focus on the student. Cognitive overload: Juggling tech while trying to teach can be overwhelming. Important conversation points or student responses lose critical attention. These challenges highlight the need for use of effective strategies that ensure an engaging online session.

1. Actively minimise distractions. 2. Use clear language and encourage students to express themselves clearly. 3. Use video calls to enhance the visibility of nonverbal cues and create a more personal connection. 4. Use icebreakers or casual discussions to foster a sense of connection.

In addition to active listening, it's important to practice double-listening and closed-loop listening. The first time to listen is to make sure that the students have understood the desired message or information. The second time of listening is to make sure that the proposed learning activity by the teacher responds to the student's needs or style. Second-order listening can be evaluated by quickly prototyping a learning activity and engaging with the student in fact-checking or information evaluation.

To improve online tutoring engagement, actively listen to students' concerns, ask open-ended questions, provide timely feedback, and use nonverbal cues to demonstrate engagement.