How Can Teachers Make Online Learning Interesting?

Dozens of books, lunch boxes, socks, and pencils- these are just some of the things that bring a lot of memories we made inside the school. Also, waiting for the school bell to ring, playing soccer with our friends, hugging our classmates and teachers to greet them, and even asking to go out just to buy different foods from the canteen complete our whole day. However, such things are now impossible to happen because of the covid-19 pandemic. This has resulted in many changes like the new approach to teaching, new teaching strategy, new classroom setting, and a lot more which have been accepted and embraced by every single person around the world.

Challenges in online learning

One of these changes is shifting the teaching-learning process to online and/or to modular distance learning from the usual traditional teaching. This was a challenge to every teacher and learner. However, education is something that cannot be delayed, that is why many still choose to continue.

Some schools preferred modular distance learning, wherein students use self-learning modules, whether printed or digital/electronic copy, to study. They may also use some other learning materials, such as textbooks, activity sheets, study guides, and many more. In this learning modality, teachers will have to deliver appropriate printed materials. But learners may also access them by downloading electronic copies through their devices like smartphones, computers, tablets, or laptops.

Schools including Georgia International Academy, which offers preschool to high school programs, chose to have online learning, in which the learners attend online classes.

The lessons discussions, assignments, and activities, imparting knowledge and everything is done virtually. This may occur using the suggested online applications. One of the things that need to be considered in this setup is how to deliver or execute the lessons efficiently since it is somehow different from the usual face-to-face learning.

Children have a very short attention span, and so teachers always have to make sure that they present the lessons in a very interesting manner. But things have changed, things are different with online learning. And mentors still have to make every class or discussion productive through different teaching methods properly and efficiently integrated, regardless of the learning modality or setup. As teachers, you should always make every online session interesting, so that learning is more possible. But the question is “How?”. Adjusting into this digital learning is really hard and nerve-wracking, and making it interesting is probably harder, but solutions and answers are just there, waiting to be seen and utilized. So, here are the teaching styles and tips that should be remembered and be done to make online learning interesting.

Ways to make your virtual class great

Make your slide or presentation eye-catching and engaging

Aside from your presence, a slide presentation presenting all the information about your lesson is also with you in the process of imparting knowledge to the learners. To make your class interesting, exert an effort in making your presentation attractive and engaging. This is to easily catch the attention of the learners. Once they see how amazing your slide presentation is, they would definitely appreciate it and be more likely for them to be interested in your lesson and would end up listening to your discussion.

In making a presentation, do not put too much text in one slide as it can be confusing, and they may not be able to read the information clearly. Be mindful of the colors and backgrounds you would use. Use bullets also to simplify the content of your lesson and to make it easier for the students to understand the lesson.

Provide interactive and fun activities

Before you proceed with the lesson properly, make sure that your students are energized. You may let them dance, sing, play a game, or do anything that could catch their attention and think that your session would be exciting.

Students learn best when they are actively engaged and participating in the teaching-learning experience. To make this possible, incorporate your lesson with interactive activities, such as peer reviews, brainstorming, puzzles, interactive quizzes, and such things. These activities will help your students explore, learn by themselves and enjoy the session at the same time.

Conduct group activities

A group activity is also possible in online learning. But make use of an application that offers a feature for this kind of activity. Since students are already considered active learners nowadays, teachers have to banish passivity. And to do so, giving collaborative activities can be of help to make every student share their own ideas with their peers. They would also probably love to do this kind of task for them to be able to communicate with their classmates casually even if they are not physically together. However, to ensure that everybody is participating, the teacher has to visit the session/room provided for each group. This can provide a spotlight to share or give inputs in an interactive and interesting way.

Give students rewards and/or praises as a motivation

Giving rewards or praising the students for their hard work and consistency is very significant. This will drive them to do more and be better every single session. With this, they may also find learning interesting. This is such a great motivation that would push the students to learn more and appreciate learning.

Discuss and converse

Do not let your students think that your lesson is just pure lectures, that sounds boring and they would not be interested. Thus, replace it with the conversation, wherein you are just communicating with them casually while imparting knowledge. In this case, they may not find learning very difficult and tiring.

This can also help you develop a good rapport with the students, and may build excitement in them to learn many things from you.

It is essential to make your students interested in your lesson, especially now that you are doing online learning. Making an online class interesting that induces the thirst for knowledge is quite a challenge, but considering and doing the things above can help you succeed and be efficient with your online learning experience.