Top 5 ways to make online education engaging

Schools have now transited to the new normal - Online Classroom. Until early 2020 mobile phones, computers and other electronic devices were considered a distraction and were largely missing from the education space in India. The pandemic has now forced the education sector to largely depend on gadgets to deliver quality and seamless education to its students. Staring at an LCD screen for 6 hours a day to study can lead to monotony. Here are some of the top ways to ensure students continue to focus and enjoy their classes even while studying at home. 

Online Morning Assembly: The morning assembly where teachers and students said short prayers and an inspiring ‘thought for the day’ used to be a great way to start. Just because classes moved online, doesn’t mean the morning assembly cannot! The same routine can be followed at the individual class level by the teachers who take the first class, by starting with the school prayers. They can take turns to assign who would share the thought for the day with the class, and assign one student to share their experience about something interesting they learnt, or a drawing, a short poem, or anything they created - with the class. 

Interactive Digital Quizzes: Online quizzes are a great way to get the students to engage in a classroom. It can be a healthy and competitive way for them to learn. Quizzes can simply be 3-4 questions which the students can answer using the chat facility. Quizzes can also be incorporated in between the class as a quick 3 question quiz or at the end of it to recap the lesson. Teachers can either give the best performers small rewards or even better give them recognition by mentioning it to the parents. 

Activity-Based Learning: Now that students are home, they can all be indulged in various activities to help them learn, which doesn’t involve just staring at their screen. Though PowerPoint slides and quizzes are a great way to keep the attention of the students from wavering, younger students surely enjoy physical activities. Easy activities such as finding real-life examples of shapes, indulging them in basic cooking without fire, using art and craft as a way to write their responses to questions can help better. Students will also have the opportunity to get creative and expend their energy. 

Online Hobby Classes: Children cannot go out to take a break without the threat of COVID-19. Instead, they can be provided with a plethora of online resources to develop their hobbies. Activities such as dance, music, yoga, cooking, kitchen gardening etc. can all be taught online. These don’t have to be compulsory activities, but they can be a refreshing way to relax for the students. Some of these activities can also be done along with the parents, giving them a chance to spend some time together. 

Physical Activities During Classes: Yes, this is very much possible. Increased screen time adds to a lot of strain on the eyes. Teachers can be trained to take a few minutes of break to exercise their eye muscles. These are simple and effective exercises. Also, unlike a physical classroom where 30-40 students cannot engage in physical activity, this can be achieved in an online class. A quick run - to the nearest room, or to give a hug to their family members, doing five jumps on the spot etc. are ways that physical activity can be incorporated in a class. 

Online classes have helped continue the education during the pandemic, but schools, teachers, and parents have been grappling with the situation where the children are exposed to too much screen time. This coupled with the boredom, and monotony has given schools the opportunity to make learning go beyond textbooks. These quick and easy tips can surely add to the student’s learning experience and beyond!  

(The author is the Principal, Orchids the International School – Panathur)

Disclaimer: The views expressed above are the author's own and do not reflect those of DNA.