The pandemic, coupled with the ensuing lockdown five months ago, brought with it a disruption in every facet of life, none more so evident than in education. The digital classroom was thus born, and educators everywhere were left grappling with these unforeseen changes.

Online learning was a landscape that was in equal parts novel and difficult, even for the most tech-savvy educator. Yet even as challenges remain, our educators have found their footing - thereby being able to re-invent the teaching-learning process. By way of our Tools for Teachers campaign/series of articles, we would like to bring to light some of the ways our educators have persisted, some of the strategies they’ve used as well as the tech tools they have harnessed in delivering online classes.

At the very outset, teaching an online class requires a complete shift in mind-set. One of the most common traps to fall into is the quest to translate every aspect of the actual classroom to its virtual counterpart. Online classes require a different structure, strategy and flow. Even the outcomes may be different, depending on what is being taught. The focus may well be on imparting skills as opposed to knowledge. Yet what remains at the heart of successful pedagogy, online or otherwise, is ensuring student attention and engagement.

Intrinsically easier to achieve in the physical classroom, strategies in maintaining and enhancing engagement that worked then are not directly translatable to the virtual world (take, for example, basic body language such as maintaining eye contact). Thus, we begin by exploring how best an online class can be structured to ensure students are attentive, engaged and participatory.

The Anatomy of an Online Class

Strategy

1.   Flipped Classrooms work well online. Students, encouraged to take ownership of their learning, are able to stay engaged better when the teacher plays the role of a facilitator as opposed to being the “giver” of knowledge. Student-led projects lend to greater effectiveness of online classes.
 

2.   At the beginning of the class, stating (or re-iterating) the learning objective, success criteria, culture target, flow of the class and materials required has a positive impact on student attention, allowing everyone in the class to mentally prepare for the next 30-40 minutes.
 

3.   Formulating and re-iterating class rules in the middle of the class, especially in classes with younger children, ensures learners are able to stay on track with what is acceptable and what is not. This is a suggested list of class rules which we follow.

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4.   Many of our educators also began classes with a simple mindfulness chant. Aside from inherent benefits to mental health, mindfulness is an evidenced-based tool which improves focus and retention – two essential ingredients for a successful online class.
 

5.   Incorporate circle time every day – at the start of the school day/online timetable, we schedule time during which teachers and students can interact on a more informal level and check in with one another. Circle time can also be an opportunity to introduce tech tools with which students might like to get familiarized, as opposed to being confronted with something new in their timetabled class, in order to save time.
 

6.    Learning is an active process, and while this was always true in the physical space, it has never been more evident as it is now, in the online class. Where it is difficult at best to ensure attention and participation from the entire class, incorporating activities by way of interactive quizzes, polls, forms, games etc can go a long way in encouraging participation.

Additionally, for younger learners, drama- and art-integration in classes (for example, puppet shows, crafts, story-telling and so on) as well as the celebration of “special days” enhances student interest and engagement.
 

Outcomes  

• With increased accountability due to flipped classrooms, we have seen our students take more responsibility, along with an improvement in research and collaboration skills.

• With interactive learning tools being the norm in class, we have seen commendable success across age groups and subject matter. Many of our educators see active participation from the entire class.
   
• Providing students with frequent quizzes and polls both within the class or as exit slips through various apps has enhanced formative assessments, enabling teachers to track students’ progress and understanding “live” during class.

 

While it goes without saying that the structure of the online class is important, “behind the scenes” strategies can be just as crucial in achieving learning outcomes. Broadly, these involve making a genuine, emotional connection with the students, involving parents as important stakeholders and timetabling successfully so as to ensure there are no compromises to well-being.

What Works Behind the Scenes

Strategy

1.    Making a connection and establishing rapport with the students is a crucial, yet ignored, facet of online classes. This is necessary to ensure the teaching-learning process doesn't happen at a superficial level. Simplicity proves best - our teachers have been using phone calls and WhatsApp messages to check in with students, and invite questions or thoughts. MS Teams chat has also worked.
 

2.    As we discover newer, more effective platforms and tech tools, some students (especially younger learners) may have trouble reaching a comfort level. The involvement of parents is not the ideal solution, not least of which is due to paucity of time. So, some of our younger learners have been given separate tech sessions to solve this issue. Another strategy implemented was discussed in the first section – introducing students to new tools during scheduled circle time, so as to not detract from the teaching-learning process during timetabled classes.
 

3.    Timetabling effectively ensures the learner is not burnt out or consistently having to deal with screen fatigue. Scheduling Arts and Physical Education/Sports classes must be emphasized. Having co-scholastic classes in between academic ones and adding screen breaks during the day are both effective strategies. Students must be encouraged to use screen breaks to undertake physical stretches and keep active in small bouts; for our younger classes, our educators ensure the children incorporate these into their breaks.
 

4.    Student feedback forms are effective in ensuring successful online classes. These have been sent to all of our students after their online sessions, where they have been encouraged to answer openly. As mentioned earlier, teachers informally checking in on students’ needs is also effective in gauging the depth of understanding and the extent of real learning.
 

5.    Mental well-being, always a crucial part of school, assumes greater significance in the circumstances of today. The most important part of the process has been pooling in all the stakeholders and sensitising them in identifying and addressing mental health issues. The following dimensions deserve focus. 

a.   Social and emotional learning as well as pastoral care is given focus to care for the emotional wellbeing of the children. This is done through weekly circle times with class teachers as well as counsellors. Life skills sessions are also held on a frequent basis. 

b.   Webinars for parents and children on mental wellbeing are also held regularly.

 

6.   Involving parents as important stakeholders has traditionally been a part of our process, but now more so than ever. Parent-teacher meetings, parent orientation sessions and Parent Representative Group meetings are regularly scheduled. This has ensured greater parental involvement in the child’s learning process, and continuing the open relationship we share with our parent community.

Outcome

• A one-to-one connection is especially crucial for shy children. They have now become more confident, as fear of peer judgement has been removed from the equation. Additionally, when the educator is able to address both subject-specific as well as emotional needs in an informal space, the result has been better student participation during the online class setting.