6 strategies for successful distance learning
Importantly, make sure the students have enough time to digest both representations. 2. Instructors can help with this by guiding the students to create a schedule and spreading out the assignments and the review sessions. Doing this helps students learn the similarities and differences between different ideas. Multiple concrete examples can be used in lecture videos. 6. Consider uninstalling any computer games to avoid temptation. I call it the Success First Approach, and it focuses on the premise that successful learning and instruction can occur only when both teacher and student feel empowered. Be familiar 3. For example, students can just write out what they can remember on a blank sheet of paper, or even draw ideas. And while we may understand the challenges you face in the classroom, none of us have experienced anything like this unprecedented, wide-spread, drastic shift to distance learning that you’re currently facing. This happens when students take practice tests or quizzes, but it can be done in other ways too. I have three kiddos, all in... Strategy #2 — Choose a Good Place to Learn. Spacing or spreading out learning opportunities over time improves learning. Write questions that require students to apply concepts to specific examples, or identify components within an example. Add discussions to increase engagement and comprehension. Dan is a high school math teacher, and instead of assigning students work in an online program (which requires multiple steps to log in), he posts problems to solve in his online classroom. Applied Cognitive Psychology, 22, 861-876. Sadly, I cannot answer that question for you. Just remember to avoid cognitive overload. To make it easier for them, set aside a dedicated learning space free from distractions such as toys, siblings or pets. Teachers can create an environment in which both they and their students feel empowered for remote teaching and learning. Distance learning has special challenges. Due to the differences in the… Pashler, H., Bain, P. M., Bottge, B. Most successful distance education programs consolidate support service functions to include student registration, materials duplication and distribution, textbook ordering, securing of copyright clearances, facilities scheduling, processing grade reports, managing technical resources, etc.. https://www.edutopia.org/article/6-strategies-successful-distance-learning Why is this so critical? If you’re reading this and you’re an educator, congratulations: You have survived the 2019–20 school year. While we make judgments about what we think we are learning in the moment, what we really care about is what we can remember and apply in the future. When we combine these, it is easier for us to understand the information being presented. Pomerance, L., Greenberg, J., & Walsh, K. (2016, January). Some research does show that open-book retrieval opportunities can be effective (1) and that multiple-choice questions can be written to be just as effective at producing learning as short-answer (2, 3). Be organized: Instruction is clearly outlined for students and anyone who’s supporting them. This is a good thing, in that it means they can be used in a lot of different situations. For more durable learning, the studying has to take place in smaller chunks over time.“Every time … Or keep the games on a different computer in the house. A Reflection: Making Distance Learning Successful. Avoid games. This is where flexibility comes in, and adjustments can be made so that the students are challenged and not getting everything perfectly right, but are still somewhat successful. Elaboration involves asking “how” and “why” questions about a specific topic, and then trying to find the answers to those questions. Some of the content is similar or even identical. Creating a schedule and sticking to it is especially important in distance courses, where students are often required to move through more of the work at their own pace. Be concise: Along the same vein, you should clearly communicate what needs to be done in a way that your target audience can understand. Kim, a new teacher, learned the need to be authentic with her students and to use their interests to help achieve her end goal. Sitting at home, they have to learn to avoid distractions, get themselves to focus on what they are supposed to do, know what time it is, and not let their school lives seep into their home lives and vice versa. There are a bunch of different online learning strategies to adapt your in-person lesson plans to fit the virtual environment. There are many good ideas out there, and it can be hard not to experiment with them all. Weinstein, Y., & Sumeracki, M. A. Tools and Strategies for Succeeding as a Distance Student. This ensures that they know how it should be solved and requires deep understanding. IES Practice Guide. Blocking off time works best because it is easy to procrastinate when an exam or assignment is not immediately due. The same can be done with formative and summative assessments—the types of which will vary according to your content. I will be leading distance learning from outdoors once a week and also encouraging children to join me on a nature walk. Dual Coding (6) All 6 of these strategies have evidence supporting their effectiveness, but some do have more evidence than others. Students complete them, take a picture, and submit. Instructors can implement them in their distance learning environments (whether that be synchronous/virtual/remote or asynchronous/distance) in ways that will foster student learning that works best for their course, and students can infuse their study sessions with these strategies in a way that will promote long-term learning. (2008). For example, explaining concepts to one another in an online discussion board often uses all 6! This is probably due to the difficulty. Try to break the lecture videos up into smaller chunks so that students can work through “bite-sized” pieces. Not all of these strategies will be possible with every activity, assessment, or assignment. Organizing Instruction and Study to Improve Student Learning. To enable educators to quickly set their class up for distance learning success, this webinar features digital communication expert, A. Lee Judge, and eLearning designer, Nicasia Anzalone Caires, who shares strategies to engage students, collaborate, and reach out to parents and families at a safe social distance. However, the research shows us that, in the long-term (even 1-2 days later), these strategies work very well. As educators, we now look to the fall with trepidation. As teachers, we often feel like we need to keep a professional distance from our students, but I’ve found that taking time to make small talk can help break down barriers to learning. Often, her students view this more readily than the instructions themselves. After each chapter, they had to show that they understood what happened. This workshop is part of the Teach for LA Virtual Workshop Series organized by the TEACH LA Regional Consortium. Here are some tips for online learning success to make sure you get the most value out of your next class. A., Graesser, A. C., Koedinger, K. R., McDaniel, M. A., & Metcalfe, J. Multiple-choice tests exonerated, at least of some charges: Fostering test-induced learning and avoiding test-induced forgetting. 5. 2. http://doi.org/10.1177/1529100612453266. From an instructional standpoint, it increases the odds that the work will be finished and that it will be of high quality. How can this realistically be done? You can also use time limits so that students are less likely to be able to look everything up or talk to one another while the quiz is happening. Then, you can insert hyperlinks into the documents that allow the students to click to access material. You will probably never see or meet the teacher. This lets you know if a tool is new to students or will meet with a lot of resistance. 1. These can be balanced with other tools and/or serve as alternative options to other activities. This approach comes from my 14 years of classroom experience, 11 years of virtual instruction, mentoring developing teachers, and coaching others along the way. Turn off your cell phone. This is especially important in distance scenarios where students are taking more control over their own learning! Although online distance learning courses have many advantages over on-campus degree classes, many factors come into play in order for students to successfully complete distance learning courses. This also allows me to let the students take the quiz twice for extra practice (and I keep their best score, or the average of their two scores depending on the course). Interleaving basically means jumbling up ideas. In a distance situation, students can utilize elaboration in online discussion boards or in virtual groups via video chat. There are also countless ways that the strategies can be combined to be used together. London, UK: David Fulton, Routledge. 4. Often when using the strategies, it feels to students (and instructors) as though they are not promoting learning. Yet, the more of them you use, the greater the chance that both you and your students will be successful. When we are with them personally, we can verbally reinforce what needs to be done, but this is not always possible in the remote format. Students later may remember scarcity was about flying, but not the rest. My most recent endeavor is to engage children in outdoor experiences. Many of us here at Teaching Strategies, myself included, are former educators. Julia, a high school teacher, has her students do project-based learning. While giving written instructions, she also takes a video of herself explaining the directions and reviewing them. Follow the simple tips below, and you'll do better in your learning. Successful online students have a few things in common. 4. For example, students will learn and retain more if they study 30 minutes M-F, rather than for 2.5 hours all on one day. This typically leads to more mistakes during practice, but in the long-run, the students retain their knowledge much longer. Strategies for Successful Distance Learning. Although online distance learning courses have many advantages over on-campus degree courses, many factors come into play in order to make this a success for students. Be authentic: Simply put, teachers need to be true to themselves and also true to their students. They may seem pretty basic, but they'll help keep you focused and on track. This workshop addresses concrete strategies for successful distance learning, with a focus on: • Setting up an optimal distance learning environment • Strategies for student success • Tips for balancing new challenges related to distance learning Registered workshop attendees will receive a Zoom meeting link closer to the workshop date. After more than a decade of reviewing thousands of distance learning courses, evaluating instructional design techniques, and supporting distance learning courses, I have identified seven tips that can help ensure the success of online students. In this guide to distance learning, I am starting with the blog that I wrote last year summarizing the six strategies for effective learning for teachers. 1. Teachers also should strive to offer a blend of expository, active, and interactive learning. 8 Best Strategies for Engaging Students During Distance Learning Focus on relationships first.. For example, explaining concepts to one another in an online discussion board often uses all 6! The same goes with assessments and activities. So how do you strike a balance between trying new resources and not overwhelming your students? Some ways to replicate bell-ringers are by creating interactive polls for students to start a class (tools like Mentimeter can do this) or asking questions and having students type in responses for participation points. Concrete information is easier to remember than abstract information, and so concrete examples foster learning. This can also lead to cramming (the opposite of spacing). 2. 6 Strategies for Success in Distance Learning 1. These situations can include distance learning! Relationships are the most important element of any learning format, but they are... Use online course content as a relationship-builder.. It’s to find the tools or modes of assessment where students have felt successful. So, in the most recent podcast, Episode 47, I talked about emergency distance instruction and a few ways that the six strategies could be implemented in distance courses. Be flexible 5. As mentioned earlier with announcements, creating an environment that closely replicates the habits of a normal classroom can be crucial to the success of distance learning. Be flexible: Flexible instruction means that students are given the opportunity to express their understanding in a variety of means and that there is not one fixed way to accomplish the task. Attempting to incorporate another teacher’s style will not always work. Therefore, it becomes even more essential to keep instructions extremely clear. A distance education administrator and an education research librarian at Brigham Young University have teamed up to identify ten pragmatic research strategies to help new, busy, and even a few experienced distance education administrators stay current in their field and successful in their applied research. Retrieval practice involves bringing information to mind from memory. But a few weeks later, most of that information has vanished from students’ minds. Spacing or spreading out learning opportunities over time improves learning. The students do not need to remember everything and can check their notes or course materials after retrieval to fill in gaps. Students should create a schedule with brief study sessions each day and stick to it. This is important to remember. (3) Little J.L., Bjork E.L., Bjork R.A., & Angello G. (2012). In lecture videos or virtual video chat lectures, instructors can repeat the most important concepts; the spaced repetition really helps! The research consistently shows that this difficulty is a good thing; the strategies that feel easy are the ones that do not promote learning in the long-run. It’s better if the person doesn’t teach the same content area and even better if they’re not a teacher at all. This is because novices tend to remember surface details. When students are studying, they should use multiple representations and try to explain to themselves how the different representations show the same idea. (Teachers’ names have been changed, and some details about them have been generalized.) Set up an ideal virtual learning environment. You don't have a campus full of people studying the same thing. Flexibility - Unlike the restrictions of a rigid school timetable, remote learning can be set up to allow students to access lessons at a time that suits them. A simple process can allow them to access their work and complete it on a smartphone or a smart device if a computer is not readily available. Instead, we all learn best when we have multiple representations of the same idea. When giving students homework assignments to do, require them to work on material that is both new and old (creating both spacing and interleaving). You can use approaches that bring you joy as an educator—and if you can find a way to incorporate the interests of your students, the odds of having a successful environment improve. The act of trying to describe and explain how and why things work helps students understand and learn. It just takes a little creativity, and the right tools. Students are overloaded with directions and assignments that must be completed. The strategies. Provide the students with prompting questions (especially those that require the students to integrate information across different content, introducing more spacing and interleaving) and ask the students to work through the answers to those questions together. Providing resources for success in an online learning environment could expedite student shifts in student learning strategies from aiming for a getting a high grade to following up on provided resources (e.g. Distance learning has opened doors for many students, especially for those who cannot afford to pay for the high fees of full-time courses. Students can also explain how the topics relate to their own lives, or take two topics and explain how they are similar and how they are different. This gives students a sense of choice and control in the process. For additional resources see the six strategies summary blog and podcast Episode 47. However, I can propose an instructional approach or philosophy that will empower your online teaching, and the principles are applicable to a classroom environment as well. Improving Students’ Learning with Effective Learning Techniques: Promising Directions from Cognitive and Educational Psychology. You can also encourage the students to pause and rewind when they are confused. Dual coding can be implemented in online video lectures by presenting visual representations on the screen and voicing over the material. Let friends and family members know the hours that you will be \"at\" school. Strategy #6: Stay Engaged with Your Classmates. This may also be particularly important as the student could have someone assisting them who is not familiar with the wording used in the classroom. Here are the five other strategies the report recommends: 1. Keeping things simple can also improve accessibility for learners who don’t have good access to Wi-Fi and computers.