How to Build Connections and Find Support While Learning Online

Today e-learning has become more popular than the on-campus mode of learning. Students from the world's remotest corners can connect to their mentors and upskill themselves from the comfort of their homes. Educators and mentors, too, can connect to their students on a more personalised level to understand their individual capacities, strengths, and weaknesses via online teaching.

With the help of e-learning, students can enrol in tailored online courses and learn at their pace. Student-centric e-learning platforms encourage students to learn faster and help teachers interact with their students more effectively.

From working on group projects to engaging in class discussions, e-learning is the best way for students and teachers to forge new connections and build a worldwide network online.

Read on to learn how teachers and students can forge new connections over e-learning platforms.

Expert ways of keeping students engaged in virtual settings

It may seem daunting for the teacher to engage with students online, but knowing how to connect with students virtually is crucial. If you are wondering about how to build relationships with students virtually, then check out the virtual teaching activities below:

1. Build a community spirit among the students

Hold an introductory Q&A session to keep students engaged in virtual settings. Avoid too personal questions and show interest in the students' hobbies, extra-curricular skills, and other preferences. Such a session will also help the students learn more about one another.

2. Draft personalised study plans for students

Keep track of each student's performance to understand their strengths and weaknesses. Study the marksheet of every student and prepare a study plan based on each student's learning gaps. Ensure the study plans effectively address the weaknesses while highlighting the students' strengths.

3. Assign group project work to students

E-learning often tends to make the students feel isolated from one another. Teachers can assign group project work to the students to fight the feeling of isolation. One way is to divide the class into groups of four or five students and assign project work to each group. The students collaborate and put their heads together to work on the project.

4. Invite experts in different fields to interact with the students

Help your students build real-world connections in the classroom by inviting experts from different fields. Allow the students to interact with the guest speakers and connect with them over LinkedIn to build a network. Encourage your students to seek internship opportunities with the help of guest lecturers and professionals.

5. Obtain feedback from the students

If you feel your students are inattentive in class, try to win over their attention with feedback. Ask your students to leave a review at the end of each online class. Work on the negative feedback, if any, and improvise your teaching methods accordingly. This way, you can improve your ways of imparting knowledge and recapture your students' interests.

6. Conduct presentations and class discussions

Assign your students with interesting topics and ask them to deliver presentations. Hold discussions after the presentation to make the students delve deeper into their topics. Help your students with the delivery of presentations by providing them with feedback for improvement.

Fun ways for students to connect while learning online

While teachers focus hard on keeping students engaged in virtual settings, students, too, need to put their best foot forward during online classes. Taking online classes and working on group projects help students build real-world connections in the classroom.

Here are a few ways in which students can connect through online teaching activities:

1. Create videos of what you learn

Don’t just stick to your textbooks and notes. Instead, team up with your classmates and make a video on your favourite subject. Pick a topic of your choice and then ask your teammates to shoot a video of you speaking on the topic. Share the video with your teacher and classmates and ask for feedback. Hold a weekly video session, and you will find that learning in online classes is not an isolated experience.

2. Spare an hour every week for extra-curricular activities

Extra-curricular activities like singing, dancing, or reciting poetry can beat the monotony of doing classes and bring everyone together. Spare an hour every week and get together to sing songs, play games or engage in other extra-curricular activities. These activities during online classes help foster a spirit of togetherness and enthuse students to work harder at classwork with refreshed energy.

3. Work on group projects together

Working on a project together can be a fun learning experience for all. Form a group with your classmates and then meet online to discuss the project topic. Maintain an online project report and motivate one another to contribute to the project's development. Distribute the project work equally among the teammates and ensure everyone understands their responsibilities. Keep track of work progress by setting an online calendar accessible to your teammates.

4. Make good use of the whiteboard during online classes

Taking an active interest in class helps you learn more and encourages other students to participate in classes more enthusiastically. One of the ways in which students can engage dynamically during online classes is by using the whiteboard for class discussion. Post your questions on the whiteboard and let other students post their answers to your questions. You can also ask the teacher to address the doubts that you post on the whiteboard.

5. Play games and hold competitions online

Students bond well over quiz sessions and essay competitions. Let the student representative organise an online competition with prizes for the contestants. Such competitions nurture academic talent and help students to engage more effectively with one another.

Conclusion

Online classes are a great way to learn and upskill without the hassle of travelling miles to reach the college or university. If you want to boost your academic profile, apply for the online degree courses offered at Amity Online. The UGC-approved platform offers highly engaging and industry-relevant programmes that enhance learning and brighten career prospects. Visit Amity Online to learn more.