Years have passed since students are taking online classes still we see a large number of them don’t like the concept of online learning. They are so obsessed with physical teaching modes that many of them are not even ready to attend their online classes. We don’t blame them. We know it is what they’ve been doing since childhood and adopting a change all of the sudden is challenging. According to research, we were expecting this shift in learning by the end of 2023 but the coronavirus pandemic! It made this happen too soon. Though online classes had hit the floors years before that, still online learning was not too common back then and students still had the option to opt for physical classes.
During the covid lockdowns, 98 percent of schools worldwide had to shut their doors and everyone went with online classes. During such time, it was difficult for students as well as teachers to adapt to this change. However, now after almost 3 years of the coronavirus’ debut, teachers are au fait with online learning but students are still struggling. If also have such learners in your school who are looking for online classes, courses, or online exam help, here’s what you need to do.
Encourage Online Interaction
Do you know why most students don’t like attending their online classes? Let me tell you, it is because they don’t find online learning interesting. Check out what one of our students who had an exam 2 days ago had to say about his online classes.
I have only attended my 5 online classes since the start of the covid pandemic. Every time I gear up the courage to send a join-in request, I recall how boring my last class was and end up canceling my entry. If online classes were engaging and interactive, I swear I would’ve taken all my classes but sadly they were not.
Don’t Overload Them with Notes
Another common reason students don’t prefer online learning over on-site learning is the overburden of study notes and academic material. We don’t know why teachers don’t pay proper attention to online classes and end up providing all the lectures in notes form. Just because of their lack of interest or laziness, I can say, students run away from online classes and in the end lose all their interest. Remember, if you are not paying attention while teaching online and think that notes will compensate for this, you are mistaken. Better alter this practice and stop playing with the future of your students because no notes can compensate for the knowledge you can provide with your words.
Limit Tech Devices
We have seen that people who were addicted to tech devices are bored of them now. Can you guess why? It is because during the covid pandemic, people had nothing to do but explore their tech gadgets, and therefore, they’re done with it now. The same is the case with students these days. They are now fed up with tech devices no matter how tech-savvy they are. Therefore, we now recommend instructors limit the use of tech gadgets in the education sector. You just need a robust internet and a screen for online classes, try not to go beyond that.
Provide Flexible Options
It is important for teachers to allow students to learn at their own pace. If you force them, they’ll lose track and leave their classes midway. Provide them with time flexibility, schedule flexibility, work flexibility, etc. Give as much leverage as you can during this time because online learning is still suffering and so are your students. For now, your only motive should be to educate students and make them knowledgeable. Remember they can acquire information any time but it’s time for them, it’s to gain knowledge now. So, don’t run after timetables and schedules.
Listen To Them
The void that online learning brings, you have to fill now and you must not forget it. Students during online learning cannot meet their mates and friends and end up being lonely. Some students used to share their daily details, problems, etc. with their friends back then but now they have no one to speak their hearts out. So, why not become friends with them and help them release some burden from their minds? Would you mind being a friend of your student? If you ask me, I won’t. Even during the time of physical classes, I used to interact with my students and help them pour whatever is disturbing them. So, why not today when it’s actually the need of the hour now!!?
Offer Help
There is no harm in getting out of your comfort zone to help your students. Have you ever noticed why there are always some teachers to whom students are attached too much? Let me leak that secret out. It is because those teachers are always ready to help their students in every possible way they can. These teachers listen to their students and offer whatever help they can. We know there is a certain distance of respect between a student and a teacher but when you are not meeting daily and only interacting virtually, it is important to offer them a supporting hand and make online learning easy for them.
Give and Easy Short Lectures
Long lectures even in physical classes are a big turn-off then how can teachers think about them during online learning? We always recommend course instructors make their lectures as short as they can. Remember, short and interesting lectures will always motivate your students to not miss their classes and are also a reason for information retention. However, longer ones are easily forgettable and it’s difficult to keep students’ attention intact throughout. So, avoid conveying lengthy and complicated lectures. Make them as easy as you can so students have no problem understanding what you are trying to say. Why? Because with online learning, you cannot clear their concepts as well as you can in physical classes.
Host Feedback Sessions
Feedback sessions are a great way to analyze your performance and analyze your lacks as a teacher. Students often suffer in online classes because teachers fail to deliver fruitful lectures. If your students are failing at some point or if you think you are lacking efficiency, host an anonymous feedback session or circulate a survey form among your students. When you allow them to fill these forms anonymously, they’ll send you the right feedback and you can check what teaching techniques you need to continue with and what you’ll have to leave midway.
Announce Presentations
As I was talking about online interactions a few paragraphs ago, I would like you to give it a read once again. This way you’ll better understand this section. When you announce presentations, make sure they are not individual but team projects. Make partners or groups of three or four and ask them to work on a project and present them in front of the entire class. This trick fosters team communication and promotes on-class interactions. You can also incentivize these presentations by setting up some bonus marks. It is definitely a great way to bring your lost students back to online classes.
Provide Resources
Well, this is one of the most neglected reasons why students fail to appear in online classes. Many students are shy to tell but the truth is they don’t have enough resources where they can acquire knowledge and interact in their online classes. Therefore, to not get caught, these good souls miss online learning. If you know any of your students who can’t have access to online resources like books, publications, etc. try to help them. You can provide the links or even get them printed and couriered for them. If nothing works, you still have a snipping tool on your PC.
Make Learning Enjoyable For Students
Students can never keep their attention intact in boring classes. If you are giving time to your students, you expect the same in return we know that. We also know how much your blood boils when the same students don’t attend their classes but have you ever thought about why? Let us tell you! It is because oftentimes teachers teaching don’t realize that the lectures have got boring and out of topic. Therefore, it is always a good idea to make your lectures interactive. Ask questions in between, don’t ignore your students’ opinions, and make them feel included. This is one of the best tips I tell you.
Appreciate and Reward Them
When everything is going well still some students are paying no heed to online learning, and appreciate and reward those who are putting in their time and efforts. This will motivate others to perform better too and you might bring back the students missing out.
Give Breaks between Classes
Don’t appreciate teachers who take classes straight for 2-3 hours. This is the worst you can do in online classes. After every 45 minutes, give your students at least five minutes of rest. Though they are learning in the comfort of their home, don’t use this excuse to not give them breaks.
Conclusion
After this thorough discussion, we expect you to finally get au fait with tricks that can work for your students during online learning and what cannot. Remember, do not force anything, and let your students enjoy a hassle-free life. Let them learn at their own pace and don’t create a fuss out of everything. Give them the space they’re demanding and we promise you won’t regret it. We assure you that with these your students won’t be asking for online exam help anymore.
