Online Schools – Everyone is present

ONLINE SCHOOLS – EVERYONE IS PRESENT

K12 learning solutions, meant for a physical classroom, are now being realigned to fit an online environment.

We’re sharing some of our favorite ideas on how to create a smoother virtual classroom experience:

Structured sessions through webinars

Live teaching sessions can pose many challenges. First, you need to ensure that all learners are equipped with good-enough Internet speeds to ensure seamless streaming. Still, it might result in students having unanswered questions and doubts about the topics being discussed. The teaching faculty can thus conduct well-structured sessions in the form of a webinar. Presentations or animations scattered throughout the webinar might serve as a great assist while trying to keep students engaged. A chat or messaging facility can help record queries and allow teachers to address them one by one after the session is complete.

Regular e-newsletters
Periodic email newsletters are a great way to disseminate information and keep students involved. Online competitions, group activities, and social drives are some common topics to include. The faculty could also invite local experts as guest contributors to the e-newsletters.

AR and VR technologies
A great way for students to get into the self-learning mode is through AR-enabled technology. Students can now interact with elements that they had earlier only read about, using tools like AR flash-cards and AR books. Several companies have developed Virtual Reality training solutions that allow students to go on a virtual tour and give them a near-real experience of museums, jungles, chemical processes, etc.

Podcasts
Podcasts are a great way for teachers to prescribe out-of-syllabus topics that have strong learning value. Teachers can vet informative podcasts that support vital learning topics and share them with students. Some plus points for podcasts are that they require only audio support, relatively lower internet bandwidths, and can be accessed on the go.

Accessibility
During these times, differently-abled students might lose out on the essential personal touch that they receive from teachers. However, while face-to-face interactions may not be possible, teachers can regularly reach out to students through video calls that are facilitated by parents. Teachers can also use online courseware that has been specifically modified to address accessibility issues that differently-abled students may encounter.

Thus, physical schools may be shut, but online schools have started. And everyone’s present. We would love to get more ideas from readers on how they are realigning their teaching models to suit the new reality.

 – By Saurabh Turakhia, Senior Content Writer at MPS Interactive Systems