Thanks to the Covid-19, it has played a significant role last spring in transforming the world in 360-degrees.
Businesses and education changed from in-person teaching to online learning. We all know that the time was difficult, and we all are doing everything to tackle the situation seriously. Honestly, students hated remote knowledge, and faculty, on the other hand, was not trained for such a mode of learning.
The entire world stayed at home working and learning online. The students were sad to stay at home, and teachers rushed to change the course, which is online-friendly. However, some of the online learning experiments failed severely at the start.
The reason is not that online learning is not shared. Regarding facts, 2.4 million undergraduates studied entirely online in 2019, with an additional 3.6 million students taking online courses while studying on campus.
The pandemic created panic worldwide; that’s what caused a backlash in the system. However, society is slowly moving in the direction of virtual learning.
Online teaching can get boring and monotonous. So, we have compiled unique ideas to make online teaching a fun, engaging, and productive experience of one’s life. Let’s start discovering the best ten ideas of Online Teaching.
1. Familiarize yourself with Online Learning Tools.
Learning management systems like Canvas and Blackboard are incredibly user-friendly, but they might be scary at first. Make use of your college’s online faculty tutorials. Take a look at how the data is structured. Also, to observe how information is organized. It will give you an idea of making the teaching effective and efficient.
The courses on Canvas can be structured into weekly modules, each of which focuses on a single topic and includes readings, multimedia assets, discussion forums, and, where required, drop boxes for homework.
Also, think about how you want the course to go.
Will you open all discussion boards at the start of the semester or the beginning of each week or module? To keep pupils focused on the topics at hand, I chose the latter option. What methods are used to manage grades? How do you use Zoom conferencing or other real-time features for synchronous sessions?
2. Identify Problem-Solving Techniques.
Students are the individuals that come to you with tons of questions and complex situations. These are beyond the class.
Students feel valued and listened to if you help them solve the issues and push them in the right direction. IT support, the registrar, the financial aid office, the library, academic style guidelines, and online tutoring and writing assistance are available resources.
May include some of this material in the syllabus template, so familiarize yourself with what is available to students.
3. Make Introductions and Connections Easier.
Create a discussion thread where you introduce yourself and invite students to do the same once the course begins — or even before, if possible. Use icebreaker questions to learn where students reside, their class year, their major, any groups or organizations they’re involved in, their hobbies and interests, etc.
Some pupils may already know one another and create short bonds. Inquire if this is their first online class experience, and inform them that it is yours. Empathy is a two-way street.
It would help if you also constructed a “student lounge” area outside the course modules where classmates may speak about college life, other courses they’re contemplating or have taken, extracurricular, internships and career prospects, graduate schools, and even what’s new on Netflix.
4. Make Expectations Clear.
Communicate your expectations from the start, and keep doing so throughout the course. What are the desired results of the study?
What kinds of tasks will students be expected to complete? How frequently should students post in the discussion forums? What makes a good discussion post? What are forms of student cooperation expected, if any? How are grades assigned?
This may be covered in the syllabus, but don’t expect students to read it. Also, specify how you want assignments to be submitted.
Word documents are preferred because they allow you to use the track changes function and write comments.
5. Be Present and Engaged.
It is up to the individual to define “active,” but we reject the facilitator role typically associated with online education and instead embrace a leadership role.
Don’t just start students down a discussion road and nudge them along now and then; instead, accompany them every step of the way. The more involved you are, the more interested they are.
It’s better to respond to almost every post, asking students to elaborate on their thoughts or consider alternate points of view when appropriate.
At the start of each new module, write a post or make a video commenting on the previous week’s conversations, summarizing what’s on the agenda for the next week, and reminding students of upcoming tasks and deadlines.
Words of thanks and encouragement go a long way.
6. Be Available.
Students can grow upset if answers to their questions and concerns are not readily available.
You should reply rapidly to emails and forum postings concerning assignments, comments, grading, and other course-related matters. Also, give out your cell phone information so that students can text or call you if they have an urgent concern.
Some professors consider a weekly module five or six days long, but others opt not to take a day off. For students, jumping on for 10 minutes on a Saturday to answer queries might make all the difference.
7. Engage Everyone.
You’ve seen them: the students who sit in the back row, head down, avoiding eye contact, never expressing an opinion, and appear to be checked out. There is, however, no back row available online.
It is simple to quantify and track each student’s engagement, and given that posting activity often accounts for a significant portion of the grade, class participation is essential. Contact them when a student does not log in or post for a few days!
If the class size is manageable, organize a 15-minute one-on-one conversation with each student at some time during the term to review progress and issues.
Naturally, regular office hours are also maintained, albeit digitally. Finally, if someone declines to participate, it is not because you did not make an effort to engage them.
8. Promote Peer Learning.
Online courses are known for their emphasis on peer learning. When you have the chance to answer forum posts, you will point out areas where students have opposing viewpoints and urge them to defend their perspectives.
Conversations frequently turn heated, with classmates siding with one another on either side of a debate.
Another typical strategy is to have one or two students conduct a forum each week, requiring them to adopt the role of facilitator and prod debate while under your constant supervision and instruction.
Unlike in-person classroom discussions that take an hour or so, these talks can extend days and drill down to a level of detail that is rarely explored by traditional means.
9. Make use of Audio and Visual Media.
Now, in-class instruction involves multimedia, ranging from presentations and infographics to PowerPoint decks and YouTube movies.
Taking advantage of such technologies is critical while teaching online.
Don’t be afraid to use audio and video recordings to break up written communications in your presentations. Similarly, supplement texts with various multimedia materials (always double-checking links ahead of time) appeal to students who study in multiple ways.
Students will frequently locate relevant information online that escaped their attention and share it with the class, causing others to fall into similar knowledge holes.
10. Take Feedback.
Course evaluations are typical practice and maybe pretty helpful in determining what works well and what doesn’t, especially if you’re new to online teaching. However, I will use such Feedback to improve future courses, not the current ones.
A course Q&A forum lets students ask questions about the course structure, assignments, and grades as they progress, and peers respond. It is a real-time evaluation of how things are going.
Have a good time!
Staring at a screen in isolation can intimidate both students and professors. Why not try to make the experience both pleasurable and educational? Incorporate personality into your presentations and your physical appearance. Make use of humor!
Now and then, include links to unique content.
You don’t have to be a virtual vaudeville act, but if you appear to enjoy the course, your pupils will.
Frequently Asked Questions
How can I make my online class more fun?
Here are five simple ways to engage your learners by making your online learning program more interactive.
- Ask for Feedback. Any chance the learners have to leave Feedback is an excellent opportunity for interaction.
- Let people choose the way.
- Make it social.
- Invite learners to contribute.
- Encourage peer evaluation.
How can online teaching be made better?
Five things teachers can do to improve online teaching.
- Utilize a variety of technology options.
- Connect to students individually.
- Prepare to work with parents.
- Consider new learning methods.
- Provide collaboration and socialization opportunities.