You may have many concerns about your first online classrooms, or for another year in this mode. Many online students wonder if they will be able to stay on top of their classes and aren't sure what to expect. However, online classrooms have been around for a long time and the technology allows you to get the same quality as classrooms. You will probably need some tips to succeed in your online course.
We all know that online classrooms may cause difficulties, especially for beginning teachers. In contrast to online lessons, which are simple one-to-one meetings, online classrooms are challenging because they engage more students. It's worth mentioning that more and more teachers strive to arrange online classrooms as better as they can and they often share innovative ideas with each other via the StuDocu document sharing platform where they can capture a lot of modern tips and methods. Learn practical tips on how to create a perfect online classroom environment.
#1 Set up a plan
Planning is essential when it comes to online classroom events. That's why you should keep your syllabus, closed when the lesson starts and always have a backup plan in case of unforeseen circumstances.
In the next step, focus on the title of your event. Think about something engaging, that perfectly describes your webinar's content and at the same time will support interactions with your audience. Use your marketing experience to create a catchy and easy to remember name.
Remember that the main purpose is to encourage people to sign up for your event. Don't forget to provide additional information in the description of your event or online course mention the benefits of attending your class and its difficulty level. Highlight the advantages of joining your event and the knowledge your students will get after entering your classroom.
#2 Create a learning-friendly environment
Provide a good learning environment both for students and for yourself. Working remotely may be challenging if you don't have the right amount of self-discipline, so make sure your workspace is free from any distractions. Your working environment should boost your productivity and creativity and help you stay focused during your lesson. Improving its ergonomics and comfort will support you in staying 100% focused on the lesson.
#3 Start a discussion
A sure way to make your online classroom successful is creating discussion groups among your students. By provoking a discussion you're not only promoting critical thinking among your students but also helping them achieve a deeper level of understanding of your lecture. Give your students a chance to confront their ideas and take into consideration different points of view and let the discussion begin! Let the students conduct the activities to some extent. Let them know that you trust them and that you want them to develop their communication and leadership skills. You don't always have to run the classes 100% alone. Students get bored when they just need to listen and take notes. All the more, they can be distracted from online learning. Will they not get more out of a lesson in which they are actively participating? Yes, of course! Therefore, create groups and organize activities so that students can talk freely on a given topic.
#4 Engage & Motivate
Focus on building direct relationships with your students. Without your participants' engagement, you won't be able to pass the knowledge in the most effective way. First, you have to introduce yourself and show the attendees that you're a real person. Make sure you've uploaded your photo and a short bio. Remember that your class isn't all about you. Treat your students as individuals and show interest in their lives. For example, ask them where they're from and why did they decide to join your class.
Enrich your lesson with interactive elements such as multimedia slides, short videos and diagrams. Don't be afraid to present your ideas on the Whiteboard and try to engage all senses while performing, which will lead you straight to the meeting's success!
You should also divide your educational content into smaller, easy to digest portions. Try organizing your classes in a conceptually related way and use various multimedia content to improve your students' learning experience.
Storytelling is another efficient way to make your event more engaging, it is a great way for introducing your topic and capturing your audience's attention.
#5 Seek feedback
After the class, inform your students how they can reach you. Make sure you're available, keep your students from feeling isolated and discouraged by providing them with your e-mail address and information when you're usually online.
And most importantly, at the end of your lesson ask your audience for feedback. It is crucial to know which elements were fine and which need more practice. Create surveys or ask questions directly. Let your students speak up about any quality or communication issues, which will give you a clue on how to improve your next class.
Students will not always be willing to talk about their thoughts in front of everyone. Therefore, offer to stay longer after class, as if someone would like to talk to you. You can additionally make a vote where the students vote what they liked and what they don't want to use anymore. Then your classes will be even more enjoyable.
We hope you find these tips helpful, but you need to know that there are countless ways to succeed in online classrooms. These five suggestions are just a few examples. The flexibility and customization offered by webinars software are incredible. You can use LiveWebinar as an example!
Take advantage of online classes to help you earn the new experiences you need to reach your learning goals. Despite the unique challenges they present, following the advice above can help you succeed even during the most chaotic of times.