Self-isolation provoked a real boom in online education – the growth of students on distance learning platforms in 2021 was from 250 % to 500 % compared with the previous year. However, the purchase of an educational product does not determine the success of a school, because if you do not think through how to motivate students with online lessons, you can face serious problems. Some students cannot devote enough time to the courses, while others lose interest after the first lesson. As a result, students who quit classes may vent their frustration on teachers, leaving angry feedback, which does not reflect well on the reputation of the school.
Causes of Low Engagement
Student engagement is based on emotion – students go through different emotional states throughout the course. The instructor’s job is to manage the student’s emotions with specific techniques to increase the effectiveness of online education. This approach allows to regulate the rates of engagement, which can decrease for several reasons.
Rapid state changes. The listener has no time to comprehend the read material, and the teacher is already moving on to the next section. Everyone learns information differently, so it is difficult to find universal advice about the duration of each stage of learning. The best solution is to ask students for regular feedback to identify timing problems.
Slow state change. When a student has learned the material perfectly, and is ready to move on to the next part, and he is still being “chased” through theoretical questions, there is a feeling of boredom.
Incorrect choice of state. Most courses begin with an explanation of the basics of the subject, a rapid immersion in theory. This is not quite the right approach, because a person can not effectively absorb information if he does not understand why he needs these classes.
At the first lessons it is important to create a good “bait” for the students, which will become the best motivation in the process of learning in the online school. In other words, the student should set a goal, such as pumping up skills to get a high-paying job.
Tips to increase motivation
Conducting classes in the classroom allows instructors to interact directly with students, which increases their engagement in the learning process. Keeping students motivated in online learning becomes more difficult during distance learning classes, so many successful facilitators recommend resorting to the following engagement techniques.
Using different teaching techniques
Some students are better at remembering material from visual sources, others are text-oriented, and still others absorb information by ear. In face-to-face meetings, the teacher can teach students with different cognitive styles, such as drawing tables and reading passages from books aloud.