9 Best Ways to Teach Distance Learning
A distance learning system is a type of learning system where the education is provided to the students via text, audio, or video. It includes the usage of technologies to make the students understand the difficult concepts by their teachers, and they can learn remotely.
Historically, teaching courses distance learning meant the corresponding course where students were given all the instructions through mail or direct message. All the study material was provided through e-mails or sent to their address.
They just had to go to give exams to the examination centres. But now in this time of the epidemic, many schools and colleges have opted for the online classes because of the shutdown. Teachers are making a lot of effort in teaching their students online. So, what is the best way to teach distance learning?
Here are some tips on teaching distance learning, which will help the teachers in providing or making the learning interesting to their students.
How to Teach Distance Learning
1. Options for delivering your content
This is one of the major things you need to figure out before setting up distance learning classes. In what way you need to deliver the content to your students. You have many options for this, and it’s a nice plan to deliver your content through these mediums to make learning interesting to the students.
- Readings: You can deliver your lessons or content in the form of PDFs. It is easy to use, as well. You can also use Microsoft Word Files or Google Docs as reading materials. Also, there are several websites where students can find study material related to the subject. You just have to provide them with the link to the particular website.
- Audio: Lessons can also be shared via audio. This can be a good chance for students who are used to textbooks and video lessons. It is also a good option if your student’s home internet connectivity is slow because of its small file size.
- Video: Videos are the best options for sharing the content online. Its major benefit is that one can save the video for future references also. You have two types of videos that you can deliver- one is made by others like on Youtube and the other which is created by you on screencasting software.
2. Choose your Online Teaching Platform Wisely
The easiest way to make content videos is by using screen recording software applications. Wondershare DemoCreator software is the best and popular choice for this purpose. This software is free and easy to use, especially for beginners or the people who are not so tech-savvy.
This product is extraordinary for learners, and the key part of this product is that its interface is very easy to use, and all the highlights are additionally simple to utilize. Other than being video-altering programming, it can record anything on your screen or a webcam.
With this software, you can create great video lessons for your students. Along with the screen recording feature, the software also comes with the video editing feature like cropping and rotating the video, adding annotations, customizing the cursor, etc.
You can easily record, edit, and save your video recordings instantly using this software application. It has a green-screen altering option. This permits the client to switch the green foundation with any picture/video that they need to place in their video. So now let’s discuss how to make video lessons for the students using Wondershare DemoCreator software.
Secure DownloadSecure Download- Step 1. Download the Wondershare DemoCreator from Google Chrome and set up the software application.
- Step 2. Record your audio and video by clicking on ‘start recording’.
- Step 3. Edit your video lesson by adding annotations to the video, cropping and rotating the footage, etc.
- Step 4. Share your video with the students by exporting it on your desktop in MP3, MP4, or GIF formats.
3. Communicating With Your Students
To communicate with your students by having accessible channels is every necessary. Establishing different ways to communicate with them is quite important to make the concepts clear. Luckily, you can communicate with your students without even physically meeting them face-to-face. There are two different ways to communicate with them.
- Synchronous distance learning: In the Synchronous type of distance learning, you can make your students understand the instructions and lessons online at the same time through live meetings or video conferences.
- Asynchronous distance learning: In the Asynchronous type of distance learning, you can create recorded videos or screencasts in video recording software and write out the instructions in applications like Google Docs.
4. Set the expectations
Just like at the beginning of the year in the class, you have to set the stage for your students. You need to make them clear about what is appropriate and what is not. What this class will look like regardless if it’s virtual or not. Depending on the technology you are using, you need to go ahead and share all the resources and ideas with your students. Give all the instructions before the class like at what time they need to get into the online class or things they need in front of them during the class.
It can also include things like how their dressing should be, how can they ask the questions, etc. Also, it could even be easier if you provide a screencast to your students and make them understand how to navigate it. Setting expectations will not be going to cut every doubt, but at least it will certainly help lower down the number of questions you are going to get.
5. Perform an Expectations Check
You need to first think about what your expectations are towards your students. Alike the physical classrooms, you don’t have any control over what your student’s learning environment is going to look like. To meet the expectations, give the students ownership of their work, space, and environment throughout the day.
Make your lessons as bite-size as possible and make them short, concise, and to the point. That way, when your students will work independently based on what you modelled and showed them, they can go ahead and attend to it right away.
6. Design your lessons
For successful distance learning, you need to plan and design your content first. You can set up your lessons in a similar structure for a few days or weeks so that your students can get used to it and get confident in it. It’s obvious that if the lessons are set up in the same way for an extended period of time, your students can get bored. So when you go ahead and switch it up, make sure you take the time to model the new structure before you dive into it.
7. Prepare and Master Technology
One cool thing that happened in this pandemic is that many people had to jump into this new age of technology. Regardless of what technology you go ahead and use in distance learning, it is very important to at least put your face or voice out there for your students. Just to make a connection with them, it would be great if you film your lessons or even make a check-in video once a week.
8. Let your students also communicate
Eliminate the seclusion of web-based education by allowing your students the chance to communicate frequently, and not just about classwork! Here are a few techniques:
- Live Chats permit you to bring the ongoing conversations of the class into online instructing. Ensure you set a few rules to guarantee everybody's heard.
- At the point when your students share classwork on the web, have their friends’ remark on it. It communicates the message of support and network.
- You can also set up an 'off-theme' board for students to post about whatever is at the forefront of their thoughts.
9. Keep a strong relationship with your students
Be warm and excited when you're keeping in touch with your students. Keep things dynamic with GIFs and emoticons, so they get a feeling of your voice and character. Internet instructing can make it simple for students to escape everyone's notice. If you notice that a student hasn't been taking an interest in the class, get in touch with them legitimately to check whether you can help. You can share your experience with the students as well.
Acquaint them with your pets, share some stories from your past, or show them a leisure activity that keeps you occupied at home. This will make your students feel comfortable in the class and strengthen your bond with them.
Conclusion
Distance learning has surely proved that it’s a boon for the students and teachers, especially in such disastrous times. But the regular learning method has its place. From expanded adaptability to new learning styles, it appears to be that the eventual fate of learning will be as different in time and spot as will be in thoughts.
Online learning has a ton of undiscovered potential to interface the instructors and students in new manners. Web-based teaching accompanies its own difficulties. It's anything but difficult to feel distanced from your student’s learning or to wind up noting messages nonstop. Also, it will feel like you can't do what's necessary, yet shake off this uncertainty.
Continue being the educator who tunes in, aides, and supports his students. You're required right now as much as you were then. Many learning foundations are utilizing innovation by offering top-notch online training. Distance learning programs are reasonable for various sorts of students with various necessities.
It might be a decent option for self-persuading experts hoping to create themselves yet can't get much-needed rest because of responsibilities. It diminishes such cerebral pains—and prevents you from burning up all available resources—as you can set aside cash by learning at your own pace.
