Practical Tips For Better Student Engagement When Teaching Online

Gone are the days when online courses seemed lackluster and mundane. These days one can find engaging courses on various subjects for beginners and veterans. For teachers used to teaching a classroom of students, teaching through a computer may seem difficult. However, if you are wondering how to make online learning more engaging, here are some insightful tips that can help. 

Make it attractive

The focus in online teaching isn’t just on what you teach but how you teach as well. Recording long lectures in a monotonous voice can be extremely boring for students. Instead make use of media to add some creativity to your teaching. Short videos, charts, infographics and even audio clips that are relevant - all of these can engage students while aiding learning and retention. 

Keep it simple

This is critical in online teaching pedagogy! Keep in mind your students are not in a classroom where they can seek your help or turn to each other for any clarification. Teachers need to make clear, instructional videos that are easy to follow. Avoid using too many references, instead keep one resource as a go-to. For certain topics that require more material, consider giving PDF’s that are concise and clear. Focus on keeping the lectures simple and allowing students to expand their learning through additional material at their own pace.

Create practical assignments

One of the best ways to engage students while also ensure learning is by focusing on practical assignments. These can be simple tasks that allow students to practically apply what they have learned in your lectures. Teachers can even consider group assignments that encourage students to interact with each other and enhance their learning. Assignments that are more student-focused can reduce teacher burden while boosting learning outcomes. 

Teaching online can be a fun and engaging exercise for students and teachers both. For additional tips and tricks by experts in the field, teachers can also turn to various teacher training modules and workshops. The information offered in these courses can help enhance your technical knowledge while also instill important soft skills to connect with students.