Now that so many schools are implementing remote teaching and learning amid theCovid-19pandemic, keeping students engaged in online learning is more important than ever.While convenient for some, engaging learners online can be more challenging than in a face-to-face setting.Teachers can no longer approach students and personally guide them in areas they may be struggling with, or easily offer extra activities to students who finish quickly.This means that learners can give up their work more easily because they feel too much pressure or, on the contrary, they are bored.
Creating and cultivating an engaging learning environment contributes to student retention and contributes to a safe, positive, and creative school climate and culture.
Initiate Engagement
Creating an engaging learning environment can be hard to do, but it doesn’t have to be.In a traditional classroom, teachers often start with icebreakers.This can take different forms, such as asking students to play a simple game or take a short quiz.
Let’s look at some ways to break the ice in your online classroom:
Use a forum activity and start a discussion thread to get your learners to know each other.Before you begin, have a good set of rules of engagement or etiquette in place so everyone knows how to respond appropriately.Want to make it more fun?Ask your learners to write statements about themselves that may be true or false, and let their peers guess!
Create a glossary and ask your learners to add an entry about themselves.It will also help students get familiar with Moodle, as the glossary allows them to add their own photos, videos or audio files.
Informing your learners of what they can expect from your class and course structure from day one will allow them to focus on learning.
At the same time, it is also important that they identify and commit to achieving their own personal goals.
learning and achievement…but its impact can be positive or negative”.
If you want your feedback to have a positive impact, two things to consider when providing feedback to students are yourToneet tonSchedule.
Feedback Tone:When it comes to tone, it’s important to keep in mind that both young people and adults change who they are based on what people say to them in a negative connotation.
Your words and the way you express them in your comments are very important. You have to regularly give feedback to your learners and try to connect with them,” Mary Cooch, Head of Education at Moodle.
