The pandemic has forced us to normalize a bunch of things in our day-to-day lives, and it’s hard not to bring up the topic of online classrooms.
Although it felt like something which was thrust upon the students and instructors forcibly, most of them later developed a fondness towards it and started regarding them as something which can even continue in the post-pandemic phase too.
The commonly used applications and the online video conferencing platforms are in a cutthroat competition themselves to enhance the quality of the platform for the classroom sessions.
This piece intends to discuss some of the ways in which the instructors and students can make the virtual classroom sessions better and more effective.
The following are five different ways in which the daily virtual classroom sessions could be improved by an instructor and make the learning experience worthwhile for the students.
Keep it simple
The first and foremost tip to lead a knowledgeable and beneficial session for the students is to keep the process as simple as possible.
The students, too, are experiencing something new, and it is important not to complicate them with non-academic matters.
Factors like punctuality, triple checking the network and other connections, ensuring you are not disturbed are some of the things that affect both the parties in the session.
Make the classes as convenient as possible for the students and follow a simple and regular pattern while hosting classes, which is discussed further in the followers part.
The importance of having a stringent and regular pattern
The instructor should be aware of the timings of the classes well before the start of the day and should plan things accordingly.
They should also follow a specific pattern that will make the classes interesting as well as easily graspable for the students.
Splitting the total duration of the class into different portions and allocating the topics and other activities which will be discussed is also a doable option, which will make the students more attentive and participative as they have a clear idea of what’s heading towards them.
Importance of the initial few minutes
It really doesn’t matter how long the instructor is in the virtual classroom pull-off, but the impression that they create in the initial few minutes is definitely going to leave an impact extending to the end of the session.
Therefore it is always better to start with something that creates a positive environment and then gradually develop it into an effective learning experience.
The instructor can therefore start with an experience, story, or anything relevant to the topic which is about to be discussed in a completely informal and participating manner, which takes us to the next tip for the instructors.
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How a participative style of teaching is going to work
Covering hours of sessions by simply going over and over the same old PPT slides like a monologue is the last thing the students expect from any instructor.
The virtual classroom sessions are indubitably more distracting and relatively boring in contrast to the physical classrooms.
Therefore, the instructors are fully expected to make the classes more engaging and bring in a participative style of teaching.
This just doesn’t mean asking questions and looking for comments on the session but making the students express their thoughts and ideas related to the topic discussed.
Conclusion: What makes it so significant
Even if the instructor is strictly abiding by all the above-mentioned tips, it is still vital for them to follow this final tip of providing closure to the day’s session well and well.
If the instructor can carry the positive learning energy till the final few minutes of the session and even end the session on a positive note, it’ll reward the students with enthusiasm for learning more in the next session.
Therefore, a specific timing needs to be allotted for giving the concluding statements, mostly covering a simple revision of the topic of the day, followed by the doubt clearing session and an insight into what the students will be learning the next day.
The instructor can be in touch with the students out of the sessions, too, making more room for engagement and collective learning.
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