Need some ideas to help support your students in their online learning?
As we all know by now providing effective online learning is pretty tricky for a whole host of reasons. Some students just won’t engage. Others don’t have access to the hardware they need. Some don’t have a decent enough internet connection.
However, we are now much better prepared in many ways. For example, less than a year ago, I wasn’t really aware of how well video conferencing worked for larger groups. I hadn’t heard of zoom or teams. I didn’t know that the chat function worked nor did I know that group work could be achieved via break out rooms.
This new video conferencing knowledge isn’t something to be sniffed at!
Online learning can’t replace face to face teaching
Despite this, online learning is no real replacement for face to face teaching.
There is something magical that happens in a classroom, that cannot be replicated in an online setting. You can read the room, pick up on misconceptions, readjust your timings, work out how engaging your tasks are, see how much pupils get something, notice the lightbulb moments.
This powerful pedagogy just doesn’t easily translate to online learning.
But we are where we are.
Some research into online learning
The big question that all teachers should be asking themselves is, how do we help pupils learn and make progress in an online setting?
As a starting point, you should really consider what the research suggests works when teaching online.
Luckily, back in April, those good people at the Education Endowment Fund, did just that. They examined the existing evidence, from 60 systematic reviews and meta-analyses and this is what they found:
- Teaching quality is more important than how lessons are delivered – essentially, those age-old elements of quality teaching need to be present. Planning needs to be coherent, explanations clear, scaffolding and feedback effective. Clarity of instruction is vital.
- Ensuring all can access the technology is vital – this is obvious, and is outside of your control. But essentially pupils need to have access to the internet and be able to use some kind of computer or tablet to access the learning.
- Peer interaction can provide motivation and improve learning outcomes. This apparently shone through lots of studies. However, many of them involved older learners rather than children.
- Supporting learners to work independently can improve learning outcomes. Many of the reviews highlighted the importance of strategies that support and help pupils work independently.
- Different approaches to remote learning suit different types of content and pupils. So games work well in MFL for language acquisition but don’t work so well in other subjects. Retrieval quizzes help pupils retain key knowledge but are no replacement for other forms of assessment and learning.
My take aways from this are:
- ensure that whatever you do is delivered well and with clarity.
- Focus on helping them to become independent.
Your own research into online learning
You should also really use your own experience as researchers in your (virtual) classrooms. During the last lock down, think about what worked and didn’t work for you?
My own experience tells me that engagement is crucial. Teacher talk for me should be kept to a minimum (despite what I’ve viewed from the Oak Academy). Pupils should really get stuck into some meaty meaningful work that links together, binds and builds. The tasks we set should be pupil focused, accessible and challenging too.
Essentially this is lot like planning around an enquiry question!
The wonder of word
So how should we do this with the resources we have available? Of course, we should try and make our offer varied.
One way forward is to turn our attention to the power and dexterity of the simple word processor. After all, if pupils have access to a laptop or pc then they normally access to word, or pages or a similar package. And, they all know how to use it. if we plan our approach carefully we can make tasks that fit together. And we can design them to help pupils become more independent.
I am not advocating they simply use this to write their notes up by typing them up. No, there are plenty of simple functions that can really help enhance learning.
Its more engaging to be working on your own, in control of the keyboard, moving and manipulating information, than listening to a teacher drone on through a computer screen.
