“Learning is more effective when it is an active rather than a passive process”, Kurt Lewin. 

We agree that online classes can be taken from the comfort of your home but the question is: Are they equally effective as offline classes? If not then why? The answer lies in this blog i.e., online classes aren’t made that interactive for students. So, in this blog, we will discuss various methods by which an online class can be made interactive, and how to reduce boredom amongst students.

Closure of schools/colleges have resulted in a shift from offline to online classes. This task comes with a responsibility that is Active Learning.

Active learning and its importance

1. Always turn on your webcam/videocam: Voice is not as effective as seeing a person in action. So, a teacher/instructor should turn on his/her system’s camera and then engage with the students in the online class. This will help to establish a one-to-one connection between students and the teacher. Moreover, a teacher should also encourage students to turn on their webcam as well so that they can become more confident.

Few considerations must be taken into account while working with a webcam. They are: 

• Proper lighting must be ensured 
• Don’t sit too close or too far away from the camera
• Your background must be proper and the room should not be in a messy condition
• Background noise must be avoided so that students can interact properly

2. Check out for the chat box: Almost all video conferencing softwares like zoom, google meet etc. offer a chatbox where participants can communicate with each other during the ongoing video calls. If, as a teacher you are allowing the use of it, you must ensure the following: 

• You are regularly checking the chat box for any query/doubt of students related to class because it is very possible that many students don’t have the facility of a microphone so they are using this box as a medium of conversation with the teacher.
• Proper guidelines should be made for students like no personal comments and unnecessary talks, no disrespectful language etc.
• Keeping the chatbox active will definitely help in making class an interactive one.

3. Monitor the feedback of the students: Sometimes students find it difficult to understand concepts according to the teaching style of the instructor. Regular feedback platforms must be provided to students in which they can give their feedback for a particular class/ teaching style etc. Important points about such platforms are: 

• Identity of the students must be kept confidential from teachers so that a student, without hesitation, can easily share his/her views about the class.
• Genuine problems must be considered and taken into action by the management.

4. Right software should be used: Numerous platforms are available for video calls for example WebEx, Google meet, Adobe Connect etc. All of them have their own instalment procedure and unique features. But, to make class interactive for students, the following points must be kept in mind before choosing the online class platform: 

• Platform is user friendly i.e. compatible with all devices including smartphones. Moreover, it is easy to use and free from glitches.
• A demo class must be conducted on the chosen platform and thereafter, reviews must be taken from students regarding the same.

5. Stay safe and secure: Restricted entry should be promoted i.e. only those students which really belong to that class should be allowed to attend the class. This will reduce chaos and can be done by: 

• Students should be strictly instructed that they should not share meeting links in public platforms/groups.
• Teachers should use a waiting room to check and verify that who joins the meeting
• If any participant is apart from the official student group then he/she should be immediately removed
• Meetings should be password protected.

6. Recording should be done: Recordings of lessons are useful for a number of reasons. Some of them include: 

• Students can revise concepts multiple times 
• Teacher can use this recording for self-evaluation about his/her teaching techniques
• Those students who are unable to attend online classes because of a valid reason can catch up with the session by seeing the recording.

7. Interactive activities: Passivity can be avoided by incorporating certain activities in an online class. Some of these activities include Group discussion, Puzzles, Presentations, Games, virtual trips etc. Such activities are very useful because: 

• Introvert students can be involved with the use of such activities
• A fresh start can be put into action with help of these activities
• These activities also help students with their future endeavours

Key Takeaways 

Making online classes interesting is very hard and it can be sometimes nerve-wracking as well. Online classes are limited in certain aspects but they do open a gateway to new experiences and hence should be taken as a boon, not a bane.

Also published on Medium.