Everyone needed to adjust their lifestyle during the pandemic, and that means even students had to start going to school from their homes. Months into the pandemic, online classes are finally taking off; however, for some teachers, doing online teaching is still a huge adjustment.
To be successful you’ll need to do a number of things: ensure your internet is stable, your webcam is always working, you have to have an even more engaging and exciting demeanor, create an online course, and you need to develop an online teaching skill set.
As for your students, you need to ensure that they’re 100% focused on you and that they’re engaged, motivated, and interested, mostly because they aren’t confined in a classroom where distractions can easily be eliminated.
So, one of the biggest questions you need to ask yourself when you’re creating an online course is, “How do I make my online classes exciting and engaging for my students?” If you’re wondering how? don’t worry; we’ve got you covered. Below are some exciting tips you can follow to make your classes more appealing. Let’s get to it!
1. Make your lessons more digestible
With online teaching, timing is a significant factor. Before adding fun and games, you want to make sure that you time your lessons properly and squeeze in a few breaks.
Ideally, you want to create an online course that is fast and broken down into smaller, digestible chunks. This way, you’ll be able to steer clear from lengthy explanations, allowing your students to easily absorb the information you’re giving them.
To help you with your lesson plan, you can create one using an online course builder like Miestro. It is straightforward to use, and you’ll have a lesson plan and course in minutes!
2. Adapt in-class activities into your virtual classroom
When you present long and dense text on the screen, it may be difficult for your students to absorb. Besides that, silence can easily distract your students. To deal with this, aside from creating slides that are easier to digest, plan active learning activities that require your students to click, type, or talk through your lessons.
To do this, create lesson plans wherein you’ll always ask questions, have fun, create virtual games, and include engaging activities using drawing tools, and more.
3. Set goals with your students
To help keep your students engaged from the beginning of your online course, consider setting goals with them, and encourage them to stick to those goals. Setting goals will help your students stay on track with their studies, and you’ll also be able to see their progress.
Both short-term and long-term goals are vital for you and your students. Short-term goals can be accomplished per class day, while long-term goals can be achieved at the end of the semester.
Whatever goal your students achieve, you must acknowledge their efforts and reward them by sending virtual badges, giving positive feedback, or even extra points.
4. Maximize the use of technology
The great thing about going digital is that you’ll be presented with a plethora of digital and online tools you can use to enhance your online class experience.
Consider using online discussion boards, developing virtual games, using drawing tools, using screen-sharing tools, and more. All of these features will definitely keep your students engaged and busy throughout your course.
Conclusion
Online teaching is a different ball game compared to physical teaching in classrooms. You’re dealing with immediate distractions, you have distance as a huge barrier, and you have factors like internet connection and webcam clarity to deal with.
However, if you create an online course that’s effective, you’ll be able to engage your students throughout your whole lesson plan and keep them on their toes for your next class. So, create an online course that’s creative and compelling and help your students stay excited and motivated to participate in your online courses!
If you want to create an online course, check out Miestro. Our team of passionate and creative people has developed a platform that will help individuals create effective online courses effortlessly. Get started for free today!