8 Tips to Improve Online Learning

Some things are constant. Teachers want to teach, and students want to learn. But we’re undergoing a digital pivot that changes the approach. The traditional campus is a vibrant gathering place, where young people can create lifelong connections and hone their intellectual curiosity as they share ideas and debate viewpoints. Educators are now challenged to replicate that vibrancy as the physical venue yields to a cloud-based environment.

Instructors are galloping up the learning curve as they investigate new tools and systems. And many students are wrestling with disappointment as they shift from the anticipation of campus life to the reality of meeting their peers on-screen and carving out home study space. Without face-to-face interactions and classroom participation, digital fatigue is inevitable. In response, higher-education teachers are designing courses that overcome the liabilities and maximize the opportunities of our digital era.

Here are some tips on improving the online experience, for yourself and for your students.

1. Get Personal

We hear a lot about ‘social distancing,’ but a more appropriate term would be ‘physical distancing.’ We can still remain socially connected in the cloud, but it’s more important than ever to nurture a personal rapport. Tell your students who you are, what you think, how you teach … you might enhance it with a lively video introduction. Then turn the tables: ask each student to introduce themselves, sharing their expectations, their goals, and their stories. Interact with your students by commenting on their drafts or joining them in a chat room, and make yourself available (it’s even easier for them to ‘come to your office’ when that office is virtual). Conduct a survey to gather their suggestions for the best online learning practices.

2. Forge Connections

Online communities are becoming more mainstream; and people are increasingly comfortable with the tools for conversing with each other. Conventional classrooms automatically established a sense of community, but today’s challenge is how to create a parallel spirit of kinship. Plan content that sparks the type of debate that would normally occur in the campus social venues. Provide a platform through chat forums, and partner younger learners with more seasoned mentors. Design projects for collaborative teamwork, and set up small groups where its members can become more familiar with each other. Stay online after synchronous sessions for any questions, answer emails promptly, and maintain your presence throughout the course.

3. Engage and Motivate

Some instructors find it harder to motivate their students beyond the classroom. Extrinsic motivators such as badges or certificates are useful, but inspire intrinsic motivation as well. Remind the students of the big-picture value behind your program: expanding their skills to prepare for a rewarding career, serving as a launching pad for further studies, or broadening general knowledge. Present bite-sized segments that concentrate on one topic. As students shift from content consumption to content production, build assignments that leverage their digital skills.

4. Provide Clarity

Without a structured school day, many students are losing enthusiasm and falling behind. On a weekly basis, outline the tasks that are expected, with well-defined directions. Remind them of due dates for activities and assignments. Explain the structure, objectives, and requirements of synchronous sessions; and interject activities that demand engagement, such as polls, breakout sessions, and discussions.

5. Monitor Performance

Some students are facing intense personal challenges during the pandemic. Be sure that your learning management system lets you monitor performance and engagement and reach out to those who are struggling, whether through lack of focus, emotional issues, or learning disorders. Encourage your students to contact you if they are having difficulties with the content, the technology, or the schedules. It might be useful to conduct a small-group session where they can share their concerns, and discuss how to improve their time management and study habits.

6. Ensure Equity

Online learning has created new equity gaps – in technology expertise, high-speed internet access, time-zone variables, equipment quality, or conducive study space. Familiarize yourself with each student’s off-campus circumstances. If someone needs help with technical proficiency, direct them to tutorials or a peer partner. Use low-band communication systems where possible. Schedule synchronous sessions to align with student availability. Be sure to factor in accessibility for students with special requirements.

7. Stimulate Conversation

While generally acknowledged as a great teacher, Socrates had no classroom, books, or a school. Nonetheless, he profoundly impacted thinking that has lasted for centuries. One could even argue that most learning happens outside of the class environment. Transfer the campus experience of lively debate to the cloud by including forums, chats, and social-media groups in your course planning; and include student participation in your assessment protocols.

8. Keep It Fresh

Maintain your students’ attention by perking up your courses with interesting activities. Investigate Socratic seminars, assign video challenges, set up a blog platform. Update your content frequently by integrating the latest developments, news articles, videos and podcasts, opinion pieces, and emerging trends. Use real-world examples to align with your course, and ask your students to consider what they already know and what they should research further.

Technology is making rapid changes in every aspect of our lives: mobility, communications, entertainment, business, finance, and education. The ‘smart’ classroom is not a temporary aberration perpetrated by COVID-19. While the abrupt onset of the pandemic accelerated the shift, online learning was already finding a prominent place in higher education. And there is an argument to be made for its benefits. For instance, a Zoom close-up can reveal more about a quiet student who traditionally sits in the back row, and a chat forum may elicit a response from those who are too shy to raise a hand in class.

The task for educators is to understand and assess the technology; to transform content into formats that are more efficient and more engaging; and to be empathetic to your students, and to yourself, as everyone acclimatizes themselves to the era of digital learning.