Online teaching is not always easy, and it takes a lot of creativity to keep students’ brains stimulated. Compared to the methods used in physical teaching, e-learning requires you to use a completely different skill, which is why many people who teach online struggle to make their classes sticky.
Top 10 Must-Know Tips for Making Online Classes Interactive
As previously said, teaching online is not an easy task; hence, to make your classes sticky and interactive, consider the following tips:
Tip1. Incorporate Active Learning
Studies have proven active learning to be one of the fastest and most effective ways to teach online because students are actively engaged in the learning process, and according to Eric Mazur, “Active learning makes it impossible to sleep through a class.”
As an online teacher, learn to incorporate interactive activities like making room for challenging topics, problem-solving abilities, situational judgment scenarios, group discussions, and many more.
Also, encourage your students to design PowerPoint presentations or a project on the topic you are teaching. Active learning helps students build self-confidence, promotes higher retention, improves collaboration skills, and many more.
Tip2. Use Online Video Editing Tools
Students now continuously engage with videos, photos, and other infographics materials. While your video editing tools help facilitate your online sessions, supercharging engagement levels and making your online classes fun may need additional support.
Thankfully, various tools are available in your quest for your online class perfection.
A perfect example of such a video editing tool is HeyGen. HeyGen caters to all your online teaching needs and empowers you to deliver interactive course videos to students using an AI avatar with realistic voices in 20+ languages.
Another exciting functionality this online video editor offers is the “Talking Photo” feature.
With Talking Photo, you can upload photos of Albert Einstein and other scientists, driving them to talk through text. In addition, this online video editor has over 100 templates for various use cases, including for e-Commerce, corporate training, e-Learning, etc.
Try HeyGen now and insert your digital assistant to your online course video
Tip3. Offer Incentives
Offering incentives is an excellent strategy that increases online teacher-student interaction.
At the end of each of your classes, there can be giveaways, contests, prizes, and many more.
For instance, you may decide to offer the most interactive students’ book or cash prizes, or they can join a contest through their participation in the online class.
Doing this allows your students to stay motivated to come to each class. In addition, your incentives get them interested in participating more in the class, which will help them learn more.
Tip4. Follow Microlearning Principles
With Microlearning, break your courses into smaller and digestible bite-sized chunks and add mini wins along the way.
An excellent example of Microlearning is LinkedIn learning. So, as someone who teaches online, divide your courses into small chunks, group them by milestones, and communicate each element to students.
When a student completes a milestone, you can add other interactive activities to reward their progress and keep them engaged.
Tip5. Leverage Storytelling
Storytelling is a primitive way of attracting people, and it has a faster learning curve because students tend to relate your engaging stories with any course they are learning.
Online classes make you assessable to many audiences, and while it does, many people who teach online don’t use interactive ways to teach, thus helping learners lose information.
Hence, it would be best if you delivered more stories than lectures to make online classes more exciting and interactive. In addition, storytelling instills values in students, improves their listening, and aids retention.
Tip6. Set Ground Rules
A successful online class requires clear ground rules, particularly to encourage students to take their class activities seriously.
Ensure to discuss online etiquette like how they should answer questions, how they should use the chat functionality when learning, and many more with students, and make your expectations apparent.
Preset class rules also help limit unnecessary interruptions and distractions, ensuring a conducive student environment.
Tip7. Run A Cohort-Based Course
Nothing adds life to an experience like actual interaction with peers. Hence, consider running a cohort-based course.
A cohort-based approach enables students to go through the same syllabus simultaneously.
Also, this course allows students to bounce ideas off each other regularly. Furthermore, it encourages students to think critically about their work outside sessions with online teachers.
To take full advantage of cohort-based learning, have your students meet on Google Hangouts, Zoom, Slack, etc.
Tip8. Offer Flexibility
One of the foolproof ways to make online classes more interactive is by introducing students to online platforms that allow them to access course resources whenever they want.
Gone are the days when students don’t get course materials because of their absence. Hence, to make your classes lively, you must acknowledge that learning is more flexible than ever.
Tip9. Run a Scenario-Based Learning
One of the latest trends in the field of learning is Scenario-Based learning. This learning shows specific applications from the context of a role.
The scenario-based learning is better suited when you want to enable your students to stimulate and experience real-life scenarios.
You can use the latest technology to introduce scenario-based learning through crafted content and deploy them to attract students to classes.
For instance, you may ask one of your students to play the role of a doctor while another plays the role of a patient. Your task as an online teacher is to guide students in the threaded scenario and provide feedback at every step.
Tip10. Seek Feedback from Students
Hosting an online class may be new to you; hence ensure to constantly check in with your students as you would in a physical class and solicit feedback from your students periodically.
This helps you in meeting the needs of your students.
However, how to get your students’ feedback is up to you. You could always have a question and answer session at the end of each class, request that they put their suggestions in a mail, or even send out an anonymous survey.
Furthermore, ensure you give due consideration to all comments and demonstrate an open mind to making changes.
Frequently Asked Questions of Teach Online
Can I Teach Online Without a Degree?
Yes, you can teach online without a degree! While some significant teaching companies require a degree, many don’t. A TEFL certification can provide the training and qualifications needed to acquire an online teaching job.
Are Online Teachers High in Demand?
Yes, online teachers are pretty high in demand. In addition, other professionals and subject-matter experts are also turning to online teaching as a flexible career option.
Where Can I Teach Online?
You can teach online on various platforms, including Coursera, TutorMe, Chegg Tutor, Wize, Skillshare, Udemy, Moodle, Verbling, Futurelearn, and many more.
What are the Best Courses to Teach Online?
Some of the best courses to teach online include web development, Content Creation, Social Media Management, Project Management, Product Design, Entrepreneurship, Digital Marketing, Copywriting, and many more.
Which is the Best Teaching Platform in America?
Coursera is the best overall teaching platform in the United States of America. It is an open online course provider founded by two Stanford University computer science professors, Andrew Ng and Daphne Koller, in 2012.
Conclusion
Embracing the digital revolution and metamorphosing into online classroom sessions can be nerve-wracking. But, making an online class interactive is even more difficult. There is an awful lot to learn and many obstacles to overcome.
While online classes have certain limitations, they also open virtual gateways to new learning experiences that are more accessible, interactive, and – dare we say – more engaging than in the past. It involves a digital mindset, the right tools, and a focused approach to becoming a successful online teacher.
We believe this article has helped you as an online teacher with the must-know tips to have an interactive online class session. Should you have further questions or thoughts about this article? Please don’t hesitate to leave them in the comment section below. We will be glad to hear from you!
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