Remote learning has become a necessity for many students and educators due to the pandemic, but it also poses significant challenges for academic success. How can you ensure that your students are engaged, motivated, and learning effectively in a virtual environment? Here are some tips from educational leaders who have successfully adapted to remote learning.
One of the key factors for academic success in remote learning is to have clear and realistic goals and expectations for yourself, your students, and your colleagues. Communicate these goals and expectations frequently and consistently, and provide feedback and support along the way. Make sure that your students understand the learning objectives, the assessment criteria, and the deadlines for each assignment. Also, set boundaries and routines for yourself and your students, such as when and how to contact each other, how to manage time and workload, and how to balance work and life.
Create a dedicated, distraction-free study space with reliable internet. Plan a daily schedule for classes, assignments, and breaks. Communicate regularly with instructors and use online tools for resources. Prepare and review for each lesson, take organized notes, and practice active learning. Manage time effectively, set realistic goals, and celebrate progress. Connect with peers for collaboration and support. Prioritize a healthy lifestyle, practice relaxation, take breaks, and maintain social connections. Explore online resources, improve communication skills, learn from mistakes, and be adaptable. Thrive in remote learning by staying focused, motivated, and taking care of yourself.
Ensuring academic success in remote learning requires a multifaceted approach. First, establish a conducive learning environment by minimizing distractions and maintaining a consistent schedule. Set clear expectations for both students and educators, outlining guidelines for participation, communication, and assignment submission. Leverage technology effectively, utilizing user-friendly platforms for seamless interaction and content delivery. Foster regular communication through virtual meetings, discussion forums, and feedback sessions to maintain engagement. Encourage active participation and collaboration among students through group projects and virtual discussions.
In my view, Academic success in remote learning hinges on setting achievable goals for students and educators. These goals should be explicitly communicated, aligning with both the curriculum's demands and students' capabilities. They serve as a roadmap, guiding learners and educators in what is expected in terms of learning outcomes, assessment standards, and assignment deadlines. Educational leaders should draw on global best practices to ensure that these objectives are not only clear but also culturally responsive and inclusive, catering to a diverse student population.
Academic support in remote areas is challenging though if streamlined with student being at core can bring tremendous results Quick learnings from our projects at remote areas - Know your students , their family background and struggles - Check on their day on day presence and in case of miss don’t leave it to tomorrow - Work on Dip Stick with students, concentrate on their conceptual skills and gaps - Create a syllabus to meet their needs and don’t rely on available books of any board as a regular basis for learning - Make the classes hands on and highly interactive for learning to become fun - Appreciate and define goals with students
Creating a structured environment is crucial to ensure academic success in remote learning. You can designate a specific, quiet space for study to minimize distractions. Establishing a consistent schedule is equally important, as it fosters discipline and helps manage time effectively. Embrace digital tools and resources available for remote learning; this includes educational apps, online libraries, and virtual tutoring services. Active participation in online classes and discussions enhances understanding and engagement.
Remote learning does not mean that you have to rely on only one platform or method to deliver your content and interact with your students. You can use a variety of tools and strategies to enhance your remote learning experience, such as video conferencing, online quizzes, podcasts, blogs, discussion boards, collaborative projects, and gamification. These tools and strategies can help you create more engaging, interactive, and personalized learning opportunities for your students, as well as foster a sense of community and belonging among them.
In my own view as an Educator, & as a continuous learner still. I think all the AI,technology required exists to facilitate remote learning. Such that most learners can access a seamless flow of content available to them from anywhere in the World. But, I think what is very much missing is the "human touch" side of this remote learning.The personalize "touch" to it. This is also because I recognize that, there is always still a learner out here remotely struggling.That needs "human support" to navigate the remote learning, to understand the techy flow of learning remoting, a person to answer Instant bothering remote learning challenges, there is also missing a "buddy" to encourage learners,and lots more. These are salient needs still!
It's really important to use a range of tools that facilitate learning that happens with you and learning that happens beyond the remote lesson, because students learn in different ways / different times. So you can use different tools to deliver new learning, review learning and that gets students to reflect on their learning. However you decide to do it, it's important to ensure that you foster a sense of connection, especially if students struggle to join remote lessons that happen with you.
Another important aspect of academic success in remote learning is to monitor and assess your students' progress and performance regularly and systematically. You can use formative and summative assessments, as well as self- and peer-assessments, to measure your students' learning outcomes, identify their strengths and weaknesses, and provide timely and constructive feedback. You can also use data and analytics to track your students' attendance, participation, engagement, and satisfaction, and adjust your teaching accordingly.
In the evolving realm of remote education, it's crucial for educational leaders to champion the use of diverse tools and strategies to elevate the learning experience. Beyond traditional platforms, incorporating a mix of video conferencing, interactive quizzes, podcasts, and blogs can significantly enhance student engagement. These tools offer varied learning modalities, catering to different student preferences and needs. Collaborative projects and discussion boards are pivotal in building a sense of community, vital in remote settings. They encourage active participation and foster a collaborative learning environment. Gamification adds an element of fun and competition, making learning more appealing and memorable.
One of the main difficulties in remote education is seemless monitoring of students work. Collaborative projects are vital to build community & foster collaboration. A trickier aspect is monitoring individual work & offering timely support and feedback. The Kami app offers a live Classview. Using Classview a teacher can see the progress of all students while they work on individual tasks. They can also add video, audio, text or Screencasts to offer support, preventing the cycle of repeated mistakes. Although it is important to make mistakes & learn from them, being stuck in a loop of repeated mistakes is frustrating & prevents progress. Timely intervention here is crucial. Look for tools that offer a teacher a quick & easy way to do this.
Remote learning can be stressful and isolating for both students and educators, especially if they are not used to it or face technical or personal difficulties. Therefore, it is essential to provide emotional and social support for your students and yourself, as well as create a positive and supportive learning environment. You can do this by checking in with your students regularly, showing empathy and compassion, acknowledging their achievements and challenges, encouraging their participation and collaboration, and offering resources and referrals for their well-being.
As a school principal during the pandemic and remote learning, I prioritized emotional and social support. Regular check-ins with students and their families through virtual meetings helped us address concerns promptly. We celebrated small achievements to boost motivation and acknowledged challenges to build trust. Encouraging participation and collaboration using interactive tools combated feelings of isolation. We provided not only academic resources but also mental health support services, collaborating with professionals. This approach fostered a positive and supportive remote learning environment, improving engagement and overall well-being in our school community.
The emotional and social support should take place before the learning starts. Even if it's only for a few minutes because it will allow you to gauge how your students are and how receptive they will be to undertake learning. This will help you to recognise whether the learning activities you intend to teach are appropriate. For example, if students are struggling from an emotional perspective, you may want to provide more opportunities for students to talk through the responses for their independent learning activities rather than work on silence for a period of time.
Finally, academic success in remote learning is not a one-time event, but a continuous process of improvement and adaptation. You should seek feedback from your students, colleagues, and supervisors, as well as reflect on your own practice, to identify what works and what does not work in your remote learning context. You should also be open to new ideas and innovations, and be willing to experiment with different approaches and tools. By doing so, you can enhance your professional development and improve your remote learning quality and effectiveness.
Achieving academic success in remote learning requires an ongoing cycle of improvement and adaptation, emphasizing the significant role of educational leadership. It’s essential for educators to actively seek and value feedback from students, colleagues, and supervisors. This feedback is a powerful tool for identifying effective practices and areas needing enhancement in remote learning contexts. Leadership plays a pivotal role in cultivating this feedback culture. They should establish robust mechanisms for collecting and analyzing feedback, encouraging open and constructive dialogues. This process not only informs teaching methodologies but also shapes the overall remote learning strategy.
Hybrid Education is going to dominate the story in 2024. Far more than remote learning mandates that were developed in times of crisis, best practices in online learning, wellbeing and development for young people have been developed over the past four years and how have quality assurance benchmarks in place to assure the provision. Online learning must be about personalisation, engagement, connections and the awesome potential to develop and deliver a future skill’s curriculum that meets next generation students where they already are.
Giving students time to let and assignment, question, task, project, etc... percolate is crucial for genuine and authentic learning. During Covid, when my institution was forced to go online for a semester, I had several students who really found their voice as critical readers and writers, and this resulted in better critical thinking. The reason? Time. They had time to sit with an idea, task, challenge, etc... and come to conclusions with less restrictions and boundaries. When we were back to in-person teaching / learning, I brought some of these techniques and approaches to my classroom and curriculum. The work I evaluate tends to be more thoughtful as a result.
Here is something else to consider. The research on asynchronous learning identifies evidence-based course design, personalization and differentiation and assessment for learning as key elements for high-quality online learning. One should also consider the preparation, support and mindset of the online educator. A question to consider…Who do you have to be to effectively teach and serve in an online learning environment?
Completing my remote MSc this year, 25 years after my BA and on a completely new topic, taught me a lot of things. 1. You are more capable than you realise. Doubt yourself, and do it anyway. 2. Being consistent with small gains produces forward momentum and motivation 3. Plan, plan, plan. Then when that goes wrong, improvise! But don't give up. 4. Get a study buddy, a cheerleader, a shoulder. And give it back doubly. That will keep you going when things are tough. 5. Love what you study. When things go wrong, when you are lost and frustrated and confused (and at points you will be), it is easier to work through it when you are naturally interested in it. The..... ....remember why you are doing it in the first place.
Remote learning is not a new phenomenon as it is being projected. Right from the beginning of correspondence courses and adult learning via TV, Radio and various other tools, remote learning is a natural part of human society. While looking to extract the best out of such mode, it is imperative to learn about the pros and cons. As one might ponder that the degree of motivation can be an important factor in increasing the grasp of learning materials be it offline or online. One must maintain and rather boost the motivation without any need for micromanagement or handholding. Subsequently, goal oriented approach for each modules need to be evaluated at the end of the delivery or course completion. Regualar benchmarking can do miracles.