6 Tips for Engaging and Motivating Students in Distance Learning
Motivating students, stimulating them, and getting the best out of them has always been a challenge for teachers. This is why today, more than ever, it is extremely important to employ strategies that increase student participation. In these moments it is essential to capture and maintain the attention of students with relevant content, presented in a clear way.
This is why EssayAssistant will share with you some recommendations to motivate your students to complete their homework and help them see these activities not as an obligation but as an entertaining activities that will get them more involved in the class and interact with their classmates and the teacher to ask questions and seek information.
1. Help your students structure their study day
Most students will miss the daily routine that face-to-face classes offer, such as schedules, activities, and specific assignments that help you organize study and other activities. A good way is to support them with scheduling options, fixed days for homework assignments, and various activities that will help everyone, but especially those who find it more difficult to organize their time.
Read also:13 Study Tips for Computer Science Students
2. Be clear in the instructions
It is necessary that all activities have clear instructions so that the student can understand them without the help of others. To do this, you should state the objectives simply and concisely, detailing in each activity the contents to be covered, the methodology, and how it will be evaluated.
3. Guide them to be “owners” of the learning process
Make sure that the students are at the center of each activity. Ask them how they think distance learning can be improved. Ask questions through a forum or by submitting links to articles related to the topic they saw in class. Keep in mind that each person may respond differently and it may be advantageous to use different methodologies. For this, perform different activities such as written, oral, video, group, or individual.
4. Communicate with families on an ongoing basis
Families play a fundamental role in the development of their children, especially when taking classes from home. They will be the most important partners and the only way to work as a team is with fluid communication.
We suggest keeping parents informed of teaching methods, homework, due dates, and class schedules. Students will be able to work with more autonomy as they get older, and parental guidance will also be different. However, it is always beneficial for students to have family support.
5. Suggest activities to do beyond the screens
Students should have moments to disconnect and get away from the screens, since in this context almost everything is solved online, starting with distance classes (via tablet, pc, phone). Therefore, help them to change the scenario with jobs and activities that they can do without having to connect. A good option is tasks that require creativity and crafts.
Read also:A guide for students to submit plagiarism free work
6. Advise them to find a suitable space for concentration
Help your students to find a study space that is as isolated and complete as possible, that is to say, that they have the necessary material they may need for the various daily activities and without distracting stimuli; since it is not the same to study every day at home as it is to go to school.
Final words
Motivating students and the potential of digital tools are some of the key factors to take into account when planning and carrying out digital teaching, even more so when faced with the lack of contact between students and teachers; but beyond this, students must understand that they can be responsible if they assume what they want to do and put the necessary means to achieve it; in this way school activities will not become an obligation but a means that will allow them to know more and develop their skills.
How do you motivate your students or what do you think are the most important challenges?
