Virtual classrooms are becoming increasingly popular in education today. They offer many benefits over face-to-face teachings, such as increased flexibility, greater access to learners, and lower costs.

However, it also presents new challenges. For example, how can educators ensure that their learners are engaged in the learning experience when they are not physically sitting next to them?

This is where you should get to know how to engage better in virtual classrooms.

Engagement between educators and learners in a virtual environment is significant as it helps both parties learn more effectively and therefore improves the quality of instruction.

Find out more on how you can encourage more engagement in virtual classrooms. 

Initiate Ice-Breaking Sessions

The ice-breaking session is an effective way to help learners feel comfortable with one another before starting work. It’s also an excellent opportunity to introduce yourself and your role, especially if you are hosting a virtual classroom for the first time.

Here are some examples of ice breakers:

Introduce the class to each other by asking questions like

• Who here likes to read books?
• Who here enjoy playing games?
• What do you think about this topic?
• How would you describe your personality?

Give learners something to talk about by giving them a task or quiz to complete together. This will give everyone a chance to get to know one another and will allow you to gauge whether they have any issues communicating with one another.

Since it is being done virtually, you could also ask learners to send in pictures or videos from home, and use this time to discuss any issues that have arisen during the week.

Encourage Learners to Open Their Cameras and Interact Face-To-Face, Even Virtually

Feeling isolated while in the class can lead to poor performance. Encouraging learners to connect with others by talking while in the classroom will help build relationships and create a sense of community.

You can use video conferencing platforms like Zoom to allow learners to see each other and communicate face-to-face.

If you want to give learners the chance to practice speaking in front of a camera, you can record a live stream of the lesson and post it online.

Learners can then watch the recording again later if needed.

Learners can also add comments to the video to show their thoughts.

It’s a good idea to make sure you have permission from all learners before posting the recorded content.

Allow Learners to Practice What They Learn

Or, in other words, let them “learn by doing”.

In virtual classrooms, there is no need to wait until the end of the term to assess learners’ progress. Instead, you can provide opportunities for learners to practise what they have learned throughout the course.

For example, you could set homework tasks that require learners to apply what they have learnt in class.

You could also assign a project that requires learners to demonstrate what they have learnt.

By allowing learners to practise what they have learnt, you can help them develop skills that are transferable across different contexts.

This means that they will already have these skills under their belt when they move into real-life situations.

Host Virtual Games with Badges and Prizes

Another way to rapidly increase engagement among your learners is to host games in the classroom.

Gamify the learning process by awarding points for completing activities and quizzes. Achievements such as badges and prizes can motivate learners to keep going. The more points they earn, the higher their standing within the group.

The following are just some examples of how you could gamify the learning experience:

• Create an interactive quiz where learners have to answer questions correctly to unlock new content.
• Give learners the chance to compete against one another by having them play a game of chess or a board game.
• Provide a weekly challenge where learners must complete a task to receive a prize.

Games can be used to reinforce learning, so they’re a great way to keep learners engaged.

Give Your Learners Feedback on Their Work

Feedback is essential to learning. If you don’t receive feedback from your learners, you won’t know how well they perform.

Giving learners constructive feedback helps them improve their understanding and helps them identify areas where they need more support.

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Overall, making your virtual classroom more engaging does not have to be complicated. You simply need to find ways to encourage interaction between your learners.

Remember, the key to engaging learners in a virtual classroom is to make the environment feel familiar but at the same time comfortable enough to ensure that they stay focused and motivated.