19.a. Ultimate tips to make your virtual classroom alive

“When it comes to e Learning, content means everything. If e Learning content is not masterfully designed, all the rest will just go down the drain.” - Christopher Pappas

The virtual classroom is the new normal for the education world in these difficult times of the Corona Virus Pandemic. It has hit the entire humanity. News media blares out the frightening statistics of the people affected by the virus and resultant deaths every day. Lockdown, social distancing, face masks, PPE kits, containment zones, and restricted travelling are some of the norms we must learn to live with as an off-shoot of this pandemic for a long time to come. People are waiting with bated breaths for a magical cure to make headway and take the suffering humanity out of its vicious clutches. Unfortunately, it has been found that the children and elderly people are the easiest targets for the Corona Virus. 

However, a very important question arises at this point-How long can we allow the life to remain at a standstill? We need to move ahead to safeguard our economy, jobs, and entire progress of life. We cannot exclude our children from this movement besides ensuring their safety. They are the future of the human race. All would agree that for their progress in life, education is the only route for them to follow.  

How to continue Education?

If schools are allowed to open and classes to continue at this juncture, it would be a drastic step to invite the community spread of this deadly disease. As mentioned above the children are among the most vulnerable to the attack of this virus. In the absence of regular school education, their self-learning or being taught by the parents is not going to be effective in most of the cases. To solve this problem, technology came to our rescue in the shape of the virtual classes. 

Online Teaching

Computers and Mobile phones with Internet connections are present in almost every household. Therefore, providing online education for all the students of a particular class by one teacher has become a reality. A reference may kindly be made to my article 11. Online Education during the Corona Pandemic. 

What is the difference in the learning methodology between Physical and Virtual classrooms?

In a physical classroom, teachers teach and the students follow them. They are in control of the class because of the physical proximity. However, in a Virtual class, it is not so. All the students may not be in a single frame. The teacher remains in the picture but that physical proximity is missing. Therefore,  activity and interaction are very important to keep the students engaged.

Difficulties faced in the online classes

No Human connection

Yes, the teacher and students can see and interact with each other but the online classes are bereft of the human connection. A human connection is important because the teacher can instantly judge whether the student is mentally present in the class or not. This mental presence and students’ responses help the teacher moderate tone and tenor of his or her teaching methodology. This becomes impossible in an online class. Similarly, the student misses the physically connect with his or her peers. 

Motivation levels

According to specialists, there are two types of motivation:

1. Intrinsic- It comes from an inner desire to learn.
2. Extrinsic-This one is grade or marks oriented.

It is easy to gauge and boost both types of motivation levels of the students in a physical class but in an online class, it may be found difficult. Very few students are self-motivated to actually learn in an online class. This may, certainly, affect their academic performance in the long run.

Being at home

During the online classes, the students are present in the comfort zone of their homes. So, they may feel lethargic, disturbed, and distracted to properly comprehend the lesson. Thus, their learning goals may not be accomplished. They may not be punctual also in attending the classes. The pressure of attending the school, academic atmosphere, physical interaction with the peers as well as teachers adds to the learning capabilities of the students.

Technical glitches

Sometimes the internet connection may get disrupted resulting in abrupt ending of the video lessons or no timely submission of the assignments or unclear voice. These glitches may take away the interest of the students.  

Essential requirements of the Virtual Classes

Simplicity and clarity

The content should be simple and clear for the students to understand in a virtual class.

Capability

The teacher must be capable of proper dissemination of the education content with sufficient knowledge of the technology involved. Similarly, the students also need to know the technicalities and have the proper mental frame to receive as well as understand the content. 

Reliability of the platform

The entire setup of the virtual classroom should be completely reliable for a trouble-free performance. A broken connection, unclear voice/ image/ disrupted videos, etc. may derail the learning process. It is important to choose a suitable platform for the conduct of the class.

Innovative ways of teaching

Innovative ways of designing the content and teaching pedagogy bring excitement to the virtual class. It engages the students in a much better manner. Sometimes, these have to be devised at spur of the moment, as per the needs of the class.

Proper interaction

The teacher has to give equal and active attention to all the students; keep them involved by asking questions, and interact with them regularly. 

Energizing the students

The teacher is the point of focus in a virtual classroom too. He or she can transcend his or her energy instantly to the students. A warm “Hi” or “Hello” or “Good Morning” may do the trick. Throwing some energizing exercises in between may take that yawn away from the students and enhance the teacher’s control over the class. 

Speed of the Navigation

The pace of conducting the class should be in keeping with the students so that it is neither too fast nor too slow. If too fast, all the students may not keep pace with it and if too slow, they may get bored. 

Real-life examples

The text should not be too abstract. It can be made interesting with real-life models or examples/ case studies.

Regular tests

Regular/ surprise tests bring the students on the alert mode.

Involve the parents

Since the students attend the class from their homes, it becomes very important to involve their parents as well. Many parents love to be a part of the overall educational journey of their children. They can be a great source for the monitoring of their children’s activities. 

Class schedule

If the teachers discuss the schedule to be followed in the future classes, the students find it easier to plan for these .

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The author has referred to the following websites for inspiration                

https://blog.blackboard.com/student-engagement-strategies-motivate-online-learner/ 

https://education.seattlepi.com/problems-online-classes-1132.html

 

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