Online learning is a great way to take home everything you love about being a teacher. Instead of teaching from a physical classroom, the internet allows learning to take place anywhere. The online tutoring has many advantages, from convenience to the possibility of earning some extra income. That being said, there are some challenges. So it helps to have some tips for studying online.
Studying from home has its set of challenges, but here are a few recommendations and hints to help you navigate the transition to online gaining knowledge easily. It’s no mystery that the unexpected shift to online studying can leave many students frightened about their instructional success.
No matter what enterprise you figure in, capturing the interest of your audience is prime to achievement. The activity of an internet teacher isn’t always toddler’s play.
Whatever field you are working in, catching the interest of your target audience is the key to success. An online teacher’s job is not a kid’s game. It requires the utmost potential to facilitate the students the way they want to be facilitated.
Very First Step towards Successful Online Teaching
Building a sense of the community through engaging interactions helps students grasp concepts faster. Student participation in the online community reduces feelings of loneliness and isolation.
Set up breakout rooms for students to brainstorm questions and encourage sharing, active discussion, and relationships. When they return to their teachers, continue the discussion and see what the students come up with.
Consider pairing students together in small groups for interviews or interactive discussions. This can help you feel comfortable and excited to have deep conversations with each other.
Top 10 Online Teaching Tips & Tricks
1. Show Faces
A study has shown that lecture videos that show the instructor’s face are more effective than simple narrated slideshows. The teacher should embed their video into their slides.
2. Keep Videos Short
Videos longer than 15 minutes can cause slow downloading problems and distract students. The teacher should try to make short videos. If necessary, 2-3 short videos can be created to complete the topic.
3. Slide check
A teacher should make sure to check their slides on a smartphone before shooting their speeches so that all the material can be read on a small screen. Font sizes, colors, template layout, and screen ratio can be double-checked.
4. Use existing resources and ensure they are open-source
The teacher can use existing information available through the internet. It may not be possible for teachers to innovate every time. The use of open sources also helps students to access different sources of information and clear their doubts if available.
5. Provide specific instructions
Online media may suggest viewing an academic topic. However, if the video runs for more than 15 minutes, students will stop watching. Instead, a teacher should specify which sections students should watch (e.g., from minute 11).
This, in turn, can increase students’ curiosity. If more than two items are assigned, the teacher should list them in the order he or she wants students to go to them. Simple numbers based on the difficulty or importance of each resource can be very helpful for students.
6. Delivering interactive activities
Most learning management systems include activities for creating interactive learning activities. For example, educational apps use interactive activities like puzzles, quizzes, and doubt-resolving sessions. The IT Department should provide technical assistance to schoolteachers.
7. Set appropriate expectations
When formulating the questionnaire, the teacher should ensure that students can answer questions related to the learning materials provided. It should be borne in mind that the speed of answering subjective questions by typing on a keyboard differs from using a pen and paper. Word limits should be set for responses accordingly.
8. Use auto-checking to measure attendance
Technical support is needed to develop a tool to monitor attendance through a course management system.
9. Use group interaction with caution
Group interaction should not be used for direct instruction. Instead, a teacher should set up “virtual office hours” on a video conferencing tool like Zoom. A teacher just has to come in at the appointed time and wait for the students. Teachers should focus on providing social support, and checking for any issues that need to be addressed immediately. It can also be a great tool for gathering student feedback on an instructor’s online learning.
The teacher should try to keep sessions at his own pace and relax. The teacher should not be discouraged when no one comes. However, students are happy that this option exists. When trust in the teacher gradually builds, the problem of absenteeism does not arise.
10. Empower students
In the UK, Teachers can create an online group space for small groups of students and ask them to help and communicate with each other before emailing them directly if students have any doubts about a topic. The teacher can put on a couple of questions that can help students break the ice and start a conversation.
Teachers should encourage students to use methods of their choice. Some groups will click well, and some won’t, but this tip can UK tutor make students feel socially supported and reduce teachers’ inbox traffic.
