What makes distance learning effective

Many of them are in entirely new territory; so are their parents. Consider holding an orientation session to familiarize students and their parents with these systems.

Not every distance learner is going to have access to the same resources. Educators must work to create equity wherever they can. Consider taking the following actions:. Source: istock. Some will need extra help. Others will need enrichment to stay engaged. Fortunately, so many organizations and corporations have stepped up to offer resources to help.

Here are some great websites for students, whether they need assistance with writing, tutoring, or opportunities to pursue their interests:. In addition to these, encourage students to find local sources of enrichment. Chances are, local libraries, community colleges, and museums have created programs specifically for distance learners. Older students may be interested in sharing their discoveries with one another.

These help students connect to one another and their instructors. If possible, teachers should plan to do at least some live instruction. In addition to this, they should make time to connect with students individually. Keep it simple. Some considerations are logistical: try not to use too many different apps or platforms or Google docs—or different classroom routines. Distance learning generally works best for review. Teachers need to concentrate on reinforcing what students have already learned, lest they forget it.

Connect new content to old and provide examples. Of course, given that this situation is likely to go on for a while, teachers will inevitably need to bring in new material. When introducing a new concept or skill, teachers should provide students with examples. Dole out new information in brief doses. According to some research, student engagement drops significantly when videos last longer than nine to twelve minutes.

Rather than a or minute online class, provide segments of no more than 15 or 20 minutes, especially if the subject matter is new or students are younger. Make online learning as interactive as possible. Students need opportunities not just to listen or read but to actively process the information being presented. Some platforms allow teachers to give brief quizzes and get immediate results. Balance synchronous and asynchronous learning.

Remote learning can be done either synchronously, with everyone online at the same time, or asynchronously, with students accessing the same lesson at different times. Not only does that allow for prompt teacher feedback, it enables teachers and students to maintain connections and feel part of a group—which is more important now than ever. And with younger students, asking parents to supervise asynchronous learning can be a disaster.

And as we learn more about how remote learning works, we can try to do it better—because even after the current crisis is over, we may need to do it again. At the beginning of the year, poll your students to find out how many of them have used different tools: Flipgrid, Google Forms, Padlet, Parley, etc.

Ask them to rate their levels of frustration with the tools as well. This lets you know if a tool is new to students or will meet with a lot of resistance. The same can be done with formative and summative assessments—the types of which will vary according to your content. The point of these polls is not to avoid anything that the students have found frustrating.

Be simple: When it comes to remote learning, simplicity is often key. The goal should be for all instruction to be as easy to access as possible for both the students and the teacher. Tasks can be technologically simple to complete but still require depth of knowledge.

Dan is a high school math teacher, and instead of assigning students work in an online program which requires multiple steps to log in , he posts problems to solve in his online classroom. Students complete them, take a picture, and submit. This is far easier for students than having to learn a new program. Math teachers can also have students record themselves explaining how they solved a problem.

This ensures that they know how it should be solved and requires deep understanding. A simple process can allow them to access their work and complete it on a smartphone or a smart device if a computer is not readily available. Be flexible: Flexible instruction means that students are given the opportunity to express their understanding in a variety of means and that there is not one fixed way to accomplish the task.

This gives students a sense of choice and control in the process. From an instructional standpoint, it increases the odds that the work will be finished and that it will be of high quality.

How can this realistically be done?