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While online courses have been offered for quite some time, their use has not been nearly as widespread as it has been since COVID-19. Many higher education institutions had no choice but to switch to virtual learning models as protections were spread across the country. Students had to adapt, which resulted in many who preferred the personal experience having to adapt if they wanted to continue their education.

Student engagement quickly became a problem in higher education. While many students prefer technology-based approaches to learning, online courses can fall short in certain areas. However, with the right approach to virtual classrooms, many of the shortcomings can be addressed.

If you're wondering how online courses have impacted student engagement, here's what you should know.

Active vs. passive learning

When it comes to engagement, the activity of the online learning experience has a huge impact. Virtual lectures often struggle to attract student attention. Simply watching a professor's interview can get boring quickly, even if the instructor uses screen sharing to replace slideshows, blackboards, and similar visual tools.

The main problem comes from participation. When students are in a physical classroom, even lecture-based learning provides space for conversation. Students may have the opportunity to ask questions or the professor can ask them questions to answer.

In order for online courses to provide opportunities for participation, active learning approaches need to be built into the experience. Collaborative assignments, interactive videos, brainstorming sessions, simulations, and similar methods can encourage (if not require direct) participation and encourage overall engagement.

Course design

For a class to be viable online, it often takes more than just moving the personal approach to a virtual platform. Unless the coursework is specifically designed for a digital experience, a move out is typical.

For example, as mentioned above, lecture recordings or presentations are usually not done if you want students to stay focused. Instead, interactive possibilities must be part of the experience.

The introduction of digital course design techniques improves engagement. As a result, higher education institutions have to periodically rethink their academic performance and completely redesign it to ensure that it is ideal for a digital experience.

communication

Communication is shockingly important in an online course. Professors need to clearly outline the expectations and ensure that students know exactly what they need to achieve. In addition, feedback is a crucial part of the equation, especially since traditional face-to-face interviews are either impractical or have very limited uses.

Professors need to ensure that they communicate clearly and frequently with students, both in groups and in one-to-one meetings. This ensures that students have enough support and guidance that can fuel engagement as a whole.

Are you ready to increase engagement in online learning?

If you need help from L&D experts to fuel engagement in online learning, poeticbusiness Consultants are here. With over a quarter of a century of experience in the field, we have the expertise you need to create your ideal virtual classroom experience. In addition, the poeticbusiness team can be your candidates for candidate search, making it easier than ever to find the talent you need.

If you need leading L&D experts who can make your online learning goals a reality, poeticbusiness Consultants can help. Contact us today.