All through the pandemic, students of all ages have participated in some form of online learning. Many establishments have gone completely online, while primary and secondary schools have been compelled to educate students at home via video for many weeks. And, even before the pandemic, many online courses took place solely through online courses, so acknowledging how to motivate students in online courses has been critical for those providers, and it is now becoming critical for physical schools forced to adjust to new methods in teaching.
Here are five strategies for getting students excited and motivated about distance learning:
- Set goals to motivate
Online education relies heavily on goals. Motivating students by outlining exactly what they must do for learning to take place. Begin by establishing class-wide goals that reflect the fundamental expectations of the classroom. These provide a gentle introduction to individual goal setting while also maintaining the structure of learning that your students are accustomed to, such as completing a certain number of assigned activities each week. Students have a reason to participate in the distance learning process when they have specific and achievable objectives.
- Reward and praise are effective motivators
As educators, we already are aware that appreciation and reward are more effective motivating factors than punishment. Learners who engage in responsible online courses will be followed by their peers. Create a virtual reward chart or ‘gold star’ framework for online praising and rewarding, or send positive feedback messages that include fun videos, GIFs, and images. Online learners are not the only ones who benefit from rewards and praise. They make them feel connected as well. A single positive statement and motivational quotes for students show that their educator is still interested in their education, no matter how far away they are.
- Motivate by providing useful feedback
Any educator will attest to the motivating power of timely and insightful feedback. The best part is that providing quality feedback online has never been easier. As part of online teaching through mobile community, you can use a variety of tools and techniques to be creative with how you give feedback and inputs. You could personalize it by including an audio recording addressed to a specific student or attaching helpful internet tools for students who are struggling. If you’re sending feedback via text, make sure to keep the tone friendly and approachable.
- Collaboration with parents is required to motivate students
Parents and caregivers are best positioned to encourage their kids at home, but you must inform them of how they can assist. Interact and connect directly with them so that they are aware of things such as what task their kid should be doing at home and deadlines for coursework so that they can offer reminders as needed.
- Stay connected as a unit and motivate one another
Distance learners can easily feel isolated without the company of their friends and fellow learners or the buzz of the school environment. This results in a loss of encouragement. To battle this isolation, create a sense of community in your virtual learning environment. Try to align online group activities and make time to talk about things that aren’t related to the topic at hand. Talk about how everyone keeps themselves busy and healthy at home. Hold each week a virtual show and tell where learners can share aspects of their personal lives and activities. Connecting with their classmates and their teacher will provide your students with the additional motivation they require to engage in online learning for a longer length of time. The resulting sense of community is also crucial in assisting students through such an experience that might seem impersonal and distant at times.