To be attributed to Anita
Kishore, Chief Strategy Officer & Teacher , BYJU’S
The
on-going pandemic has adversely affected the formal education of students all
around the world. With online learning emerging as the only viable learning
solution, schools and colleges are now tasked with moving their classes online.
For teachers who have been teaching in a traditional classroom ecosystem so
far, crossing this particular chasm is no easy task. Keeping students engaged,
motivated and interested in learning can be a little challenging especially
when using an online medium for the first time.
As
a teacher who has relied on technology to expand my boundaries and help
students across the country in their learning journeys, I can assure you that
this new medium offers great flexibility and interactivity between
teachers and students. This teacher’s day, here are a few tips that you can use
to make online learning more fun, engaging and effective.
At
BYJU’S, integrating technology into teaching has empowered our teachers
to do a lot more. They are no longer restricted to a 2-dimensional blackboard.
With the help of animations, gamifications and other interactive elements,
teachers are able to explain concepts contextually, resulting in life-long
learning in students.
Understand digital tools and plan around them:
The
digital landscape could be a new territory for you as a teacher. But it is
important not to get overwhelmed. It’s crucial for teachers to take a step back
and first understand the functioning of various digital tools and chalk out the
ones they plan on using. Embracing the power of technology and becoming
digitally empowered is the first step to making an online class fun and
effective.
Encourage students to create a ‘digital learning space’ at home
For
students to be engaged, it’s important they have an open mind to learning
online. A distraction-free environment with a strong internet connection will
help them have an uninterrupted experience. Encourage them to customise their
learning space to cater to today’s changing ways of learning.
Make learning interactive
Integrating
opportunities for real-time interaction into your online class can enable you
to recreate an offline classroom environment. You can use features such as
breakout rooms to give more structure to your interactions and make sure every
student participates. Make sure to use the necessary digital tools to enable
students to get their doubts clarified instantly. With chat features widely
available today, you can exercise control over the questions and answer them
without interrupting your own teaching flow.
Evaluate your students regularly
It
is crucial to assess your students regularly to make sure that a sense of
accountability is established amongst them. It’s important to ask your students
questions during the class to make it interactive and to make sure students pay
attention.You can also give students periodic assignments, tests and exams to
ensure they are studying regularly. Gamified content can also be used to make
quizzes and other online assessments fun and engaging for students.