Training Times

Four Ways to Engage Online Students

“I was a little hesitant about the method of learning but found that using my own computer and working where I was comfortable was better for me than a traditional classroom. Communicating with the instructor was never a problem, and I took the class from home. I would definitely take another Webucator class.”
– Mack Westbrook, Software Engineer, RouteMatch Software, Inc.

We instructors tend to be a more than a little vain. We like getting the kind of feedback Mack Westbook provides above. We especially like it after having invested a lot of time to implement the latest, most advanced elearning technology platforms. But using state-of-the-art online learning technologies is just one part of it. You must be prepared to engage students in the online learning environment and this can be tricky. With no face-to-face interaction, it’s all too easy for the online student to zone or coast, missing out not only on the main ideas presented but the nuances of course material that can make a difference later when it’s time to apply newly-learned skills on the job. Based on experience gained in Webucator’s online classes, I’ve put together some suggestions for methods to engage online students.

1. Keep it interesting - Mix it up

One way to ensure online students remain interested and engaged in a virtual learning environment is to combine online and traditional learning methods for a hybrid or blended approach. Some ideas for mixing up your online classes to create a more engaging learning experience:

• Allow for student-directed activity - for example, have a student’s question lead into an impromptu activity or exercise.
• Promote peer-to-peer interactions - for example, when a student asks a question, let another student try to answer it. This is especially good of the question has been covered already in class as it gives students the chance to use what they’ve learned thereby solidifying the knowledge. It is also a chance to let more advanced students participate in a meaningful way, which will help keep them from getting bored.
• Use multiple input sources - toggle between the whiteboard, the presentation material, software tools used in class, a web browser, etc.

2. Challenge Your Students

In addition to plenty of hands-on exercises, you can incorporate small planned and unplanned tests or quizzes to promote student participation while simultaneously cementing the information presented. This will keep students on their toes and off of email. Most online learning platforms allow participants to put up a “stepped away” icon. Let students know that if that icon isn’t up, they’re free game. Just be careful not to make the questions too hard. You want students to be prepared, but not intimated.

3. Solicit Feedback

Constantly check to make sure you haven’t lost anybody. Once students are lost, they’ll quickly get bored and you’ll have a hard time getting them back. For students who are worried that they might ask the question that breaks the no-stupid-questions rule, most elearning systems include a chat interface that allows for private chats with the instructor - a feature that you don’t get in a physical classroom.

Also, give students a chance to provide formal feedback part way through the course. Not only does this encourage student engagement, it gives you an idea of how things are going before it’s too late to do anything about it. In our student evaluations, we often see comments like the one below from Susan at Hewlett Packard:

“Great instructor - she is very patient and knows the tool inside out. She also provides custom exercises, tailored to your specific needs.”
–Susan Cohen, Communications Manager, Hewlett Packard

4. Teach Students to Fish (for Answers)

I used to work with an instructor who knew the technologies he taught inside out. Sometimes when a student would ask a question, he would feign ignorance, pick up a reference book, and say “That’s a great question. Let’s see here…” Then he’d leaf through the book, find the answer, and give it to the student. He wasn’t fooling anyone. The students knew exactly what he was doing and he knew they knew. That wasn’t the point. It was a great technique for showing students how to find information on their own.

Online classes lend themselves to this technique because everyone has access to the web. In many classes, trainers will provide a list of sites that students can go to for more information. But it’s so much more useful to actually take the students out to a site to demonstrate how useful it is.

I hope you’ve found these useful. I’d love to hear your ideas. Just post a comment below.