How to make Remote Learning more engaging?

The COVID-19 lockdown has altered the lifestyles of many people — including their work culture, and ability to learn and adapt. To embrace this new way of life, educational institutions turned to Internet-based technology to communicate and engage with students. Most countries across the world have switched to alternate educational systems or models that promote studying remotely.

Remote learning possibilities have enabled students of all ages and professionals to improve their knowledge in a secure environment. This has taken remote learning from an often-overlooked and underappreciated alternative (in the learning and training sector) to progress into the standard for many learners worldwide.

Studying remotely has enabled a more enthusiastic adoption, greater technological advancements, enhanced user experience, and a higher amount of exposure and recognition of the potential for online learning and training.

Engagement Issues in Remote?Learning

Issues like lack of enjoyment, and poor relationships with peers and teachers often get magnified in a remote learning session. Some problems that are particularly specific to remote learning include not feeling connected with the teacher or not knowing how to handle the level of independent work. Getting pupils to participate has become even more difficult during remote learning.

21st-century learning tools, for example, may add to communication difficulties by making it difficult to determine when to speak or how to understand small but crucial components of any discourse; such as a person’s body language and facial expressions.

Furthermore, online conversations are frequently hampered by differences in the students’ access to technology and their privacy issues. Many teachers have had to rely on students delivering work via isolated channels such as email, which can reduce human interactions between classmates (and between students and the teacher). Today’s students may be more at ease with technology.

However, we must remember that technology is a tool, not a teacher. Students require one-on-one assistance, guidance, and reassurance. Engaging them in productive ways is thus a key component of remote learning.

Strategies to make remote learning more?engaging

There are both synchronous and asynchronous strategies that educators can adopt to increase engagement during remote learning. Many of these strategies have been adopted from online coding classes for kids who have a history of remote engagement.

Synchronous strategies — Teachers can adapt traditional classroom discussion techniques to live video conferences for synchronous learning. Several tools can also boost engagement in the classroom.

• Embracing educational technology — Suggesting several apps including the students’ favorites can be engaging for everyone. Online coding classes for kids over the years are an example of how technology can be integrated into education. The same principle applies to remote learning.
• Promoting socialization among respective peer groups — There is more to a school than just academics. It is about preparing students for life after graduation, this includes developing soft skills and creating human relationships. Encourage student engagement to counteract emotions of isolation and loneliness and to create a collaborative learning environment from any location. Online coding classes for kids which are mostly remote learning in nature have shown how socialization through chats and discussions helps in teaching kids to multitask, improves their memory, and enables them to better networking abilities.
• Assigning offline tasks — This may seem counterproductive, as the aim is to increase engagement for remote learning, the majority of which is done online. But as a teacher, one needs to remember every student does not have the same amount of access to technology. Assigning projects, and worksheets or even asking students to prepare a speech will get them offline. But it will allow students to interact with real-world issues, which in turn increase self-directed learning and build valuable skills.

Asynchronous strategies — A majority of asynchronous strategies involve the teacher learning something new and then implementing it in their class. It also includes communication beyond the immediate remote learning zone.

• Introducing something new — All educators involved in remote learning need to assess and analyze the 21st-century learning tools that they want to use for their classroom. Teachers and students must comprehend the ever-changing technology and digital learning tools. Whether using Google Drive, Zoho Documents, Microsoft Word online, or any other cloud-based word processing tools — and their sister presentation software, spreadsheets, and idea mapping applications — are essential kinds of 21st-century learning tools. Teachers may need to learn a coding language to access several tools that will enable them to utilize technology to its full effect.
• Communication with parental figures — This is an important aspect of remote learning. Children as young as 3 to 4 years old today are attending online preschool. In such a scenario, the teacher not only has to engage the child but also their parents. By opening transparent channels of communication, the parents feel assured in engaging their children in remote learning activities. Teachers can work on projects to use their knowledge of coding and robotics tools to develop video lessons, these assist parents and instructors to work together to teach the same material.

Students confront several difficulties while participating in remote learning. In addition to basic scaffolding for all students, educators will need to identify and address particular difficulties; such as recognizing the value or enjoyment of learning, having a negative connection with you or their peers, suffering from online reading, or struggling with achievement in general. As with any information, the usefulness and relevance of any of the above strategies are determined by the individual’s context–experience, grade level, need, priorities, and abilities of the teacher, among other things.

Planning to make your child’s remote learning more engaging? Contact us at Techmentry for more information!