The current COVID-19 pandemic has forced most education systems to adopt alternatives to face-to-face teaching and learning. Transforming learning from classroom to virtual enables students to continue with the learning process despite school closures.
As schools and universities move to online and remote learning to help mitigate the spread of the Coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak, NC State College of Education Teaching Associate Professor Angie Smith, Ph.D., says that, with a thoughtful and strategic approach, educators can continue to deliver a high-quality education for their students at home.
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Developing strong attitudes towards learning can help students overcome some of the potential challenges posed by online learning. They are also necessary for supporting students using information and communication technology (ICT) effectively while also having the opportunity to use new learning technologies and software.
Positive attitudes towards learning, self-regulation play an important role in improving performance at school in general, but maybe especially important should online learning continue. Online learning also heavily relies on the students’ ability to make meaning through agency in learning. In such Covid-19 contexts, the critical role of students’ self-regulation, motivation, and positive learning dispositions are accentuated.
Virtual learning offers flexible, convenient learning, but it also requires discipline, and effective organizational and time management skills. Here are some tips that Tesla offers to help students make the most of their online learning experience.
Ask yourself what do you hope to achieve in your lesson every day? Setting clear goals will help students stay motivated and “beat” procrastination. The goals should be as clear and specific as possible, such as “I will watch the entire video of this lesson and accomplish the exercises”.
A private space at home for online learning will help students focus on class more effectively. Remove any distractions from the space, and if possible, make it separate from spaces for taking breaks, eating, entertaining to help them focus.
Continuous note-taking can promote positive thinking and boost comprehension. It is a good way to internalize knowledge whether they are learning online or in the classroom.
Discussing the lesson content, actively asking questions, and expressing their own views will help them grasp knowledge more deeply.
Researchers from Stanford University found that: “People who are constantly bombarded by multiple streams of electronic information will not be able to pay attention, recall information, or switch from one job to another as well as those who complete one task at a time”. When focusing on one thing at a time, they will absorb more information, complete assignments more efficiently and easily than if they were trying to do many things at once.
Taking a pause to relax after studying is essential because it gives their brain the chance to rest and recover, leading to boosts in everything from their productivity. If they find themselves working on a challenging problem without much progress for a while, they need to take a short break. Talking with their friends, doing housework, taking some exercises to re-energize for new ideas.
Tesla School hopes that students can apply the above 6 methods to the online learning process and get worthy results for their efforts and hard work.