Hopping On the Online Learning Bandwagon…
If I could change one thing about Zoom High School, it is no doubt the green light above the screen. I swear, it is designed to distract you. If I could change two things about it…how about not crashing? If I could change more things about it, I prefer deserting the whole Zoom thing altogether (no offense, do not attack).
Online learning platforms, in my opinion at least, are so much more comfortable to use. I am not forced to open the camera so I can actually focus on the content. I can check my understanding using quizzes and tests. I can complete the course at my own pace or complete certain sections according to my teacher’s deadlines.
On the other hand, not all online learning platforms are effective. After all, we have all started some online course at some point, but never returned to it after the first day (or the second day, for some extra-motivated people). How did I know this? Less than 20% of people successfully complete online courses.
So, what can teachers do (from a student’s perspective) to keep students engaged? Here are some best practices to consider:
1. Be user-centric
You are not the one taking this course. Students are! Before creating an online course, think about what your target students want to learn about. What are they interested about in regards to the subject of your course? What do they usually talk about when the topic is the subject of your course? What do they already know? Why don’t they know? If your target students are beginners in Computer Science, you don’t want to force them to code NLP. If your target students are learning Calculus in school, you don’t want to force them to go through Algebra I again. If you don’t know why, try taking a course that is not on your level. You will probably yawn all the way or be bald (from stress) by the end.
2. Set expected outcomes
Frankly, I think I’m a pretty unmotivated student, but I managed to finish multiple Masterclasses. Take “Margaret Atwood Teaches Creative Writing” as an example. By the 12th video, I decided that this was probably as far as I can go with this course. The next video, however, was titled “Working with Time in Fiction.” Exactly what I needed to know. After that was “The Door to Your Book: The Importance of the First Five Pages.” I needed that too. Before I knew it, I finished the course. If I don’t know what I am going to learn, how can I be interested in it?
3. Include a variety of delivery methods
This is pretty self-explanatory. After all, there are so many types of learners.
4. Keep it simple.
And no, this does not contradict with the first tip. Make it simple for your target students to follow. If your students are learning Calculus in school, teach them advanced topics from Calculus, not from Multi-variable and Linear Algebra. Even if you are teaching them advanced topics from Calculus, don’t package a whole semester-worth of materials into one module. Let them feel some sense of achievement at least part of the time and not just that the course is never-ending and soul-crushing.
5. Make it fun
Think about when you were a student. Which class did you like? Which class did you dislike? I am pretty sure you have never liked a course because it is boring. Although many things have changed about this generation of students, I can assure you we still don’t like boring courses. Make learning fun. You can even make it a game and let your students earn points. It doesn’t matter how you do it, just do it!
Key Takeaways
- See bolded headlines above :)
