A virtual classroom is a whole different ball game than a traditional classroom. Virtual classrooms require some serious creativity to keep those brains stimulated and those fingers typing.
With all the distractions lurking around in a student’s home environment, keeping them engaged is more important than ever. In every classroom, there are those outgoing students who love to participate. Then there are the shyer ones who prefer to observe from the sidelines.
In virtual classrooms, engaging introverted students or those having a rough day can be especially tricky. If you’re not careful, it may quickly become a nap-fest. How can you bring online classrooms to life and make them feel as dynamic as the in-person experience? Below are innovative strategies to keep your virtual classroom humming with energy and excitement.
Interactive sessions
It’s understood that in-person classes have quiet moments too. But, staring at a wall of text on a screen is a recipe for disaster. To overcome this, keeping things lively and interactive is suggested.
This can be done by planning activities that get your students clicking, typing, and talking throughout the lesson. Make sure they’re asking questions, playing games, and generally having fun. No one can resist a good drawing tool or a snappy dialogue box. Keep your students engaged by ensuring they’re speaking up every few minutes. That way, you can catch any drifters before they float away into the vast expanse of cyberspace.
Engaging material
No one wants to sit through a boring lecture, even if it’s online. You can overcome this by spicing things up with some exciting and interactive classroom material. Try to find or create material designed to capture your students’ attention and keep them engaged.
Videos are a great place to start – they’re like a breath of fresh air amid all that virtual lecturing. Mix it up with diverse media in your classes. Use a digital whiteboard to collaborate with your students. Show off some nifty charts and pictures, and play clips, podcasts, or YouTube videos.
There are a lot of educational resources out there waiting to be discovered that can be used to make learning fun.
Virtual Classroom Games
Teaching from behind a screen can be challenging. Incorporating games and fun activities is like giving your students a shot of espresso that’ll keep them engaged and focused.
You could play the Scavenger hunt, a digital treasure hunt that gets your students excited about exploring new topics. Makes learning feel like an adventure. You could also introduce the classic icebreaker game, Getting-to-know-you bingo.
It’s a fun way to break the ice and get to know your students, whether teaching in-person or online. Moreover, if you really want to get your students moving and thinking creatively, vocabulary charades are the way to go. They’ll have a lot of fun acting out their favorite words and phrases. It’s truly amazing to see their imaginations in action.
Improve classes
Online learning can sometimes feel trapped in a virtual reality that’s totally disconnected from the real world. There’s a solution to it, which is real-world problems and scenarios.
By incorporating real-world examples and challenges, you can show your students how the skills they’re learning online can be applied outside the virtual classroom. Whether simulating a business meeting or conducting a mock trial, there are endless possibilities for creating authentic learning experiences that prepare students for life beyond the virtual classroom.
With advanced digital learning platforms, students can develop the professional competence they need to excel in various settings.
Online forums
Some students feel more comfortable expressing their ideas in writing rather than speaking out loud, and that’s where online class forums come in. An online discussion board is a great way to get everyone involved, share their opinions, and learn how to communicate respectfully with one another.
It allows students to form their thoughts and express themselves without feeling rushed or pressured to answer on the spot. How can you incorporate this engagement strategy into your virtual classroom? You have to make sure you’re using a safe and reliable tool approved by your school or other educators.
You don’t need to reinvent the wheel. Most learning management systems have a built-in forum feature that you can use to create an online discussion board.
Consider using social media to create shared spaces or groups for your classes. Once you’ve set up your platform, start by creating topics related to your course or the class you’re teaching.
Feel free to encourage your students to develop their discussion ideas or issues.
With virtual exhibits, students can take a trip to a museum from anywhere they’re learning, and it’s completely free! The British Museum is just one example of a museum that offers online presentations, complete with 3D visuals of some of their most famous objects.
You can even check out the Google Arts & Culture tool, which offers online tours of historical sites worldwide. But why stop at just looking at art? You can also create a virtual gallery walk to build background knowledge or excite students about a new lesson.
Add text excerpts or images to a slideshow presentation. Have your students answer questions in a document or graphic organizer or during a live session. Assign groups to discuss responses or hold a class discussion to keep things lively and engaging.
The key is to get creative! Work with your students to find the best online learning tips for everyone. Feel free to try new things, whether it’s a virtual museum trip or an online class forum. Don’t worry if things go differently at first.
Although learning how to navigate the digital world takes time and effort, the action is ultimately worthwhile. With ingenuity and some help from technology, you can create a classroom that’s just as engaging as the real thing.
And, you might even have some fun along the way. To get more exclusive content, sign up now.
