Motivating students to participate in online classes requires patience.
Distance education has become a common method for students to conveniently complete coursework without having to attend a brick-and-mortar school. However, encouraging student participation in distance education can be a challenge because some people consider distance education programs to be complicated for technological reasons. Others express concern about the lack of face-to-face interaction of distance education programs, while still others might not feel the pressure to make significant contributions in an online discussion as they would in an in-person dialogue. Encouraging student participation in a distance education program requires patience.
Instructions
1. Demonstrate to students how distance education classes work. Present students who are interested in the possibility of taking an online course with an online tutorial of a distance education program format. For example, direct them to the websites of schools such as Liberty University, College of the Redwoods or the University of Missouri in St. Louis, which offer online video tutorials. Also, consider going over the features of an online platform in a physical instructional session for interested students.
2. Give students statistics about the growth in the use of long distance education. For instance, explain that according to Information Science Publishing at least 90 percent of postsecondary education schools offer distance education options and that more than 5 million students are active participants in distance education.
3. Explain the benefits of distance education. For instance, tell students who still are unsure about completing a distance education class that an online class gives them flexibility to complete their homework at times that fit their particular schedules. Describe how these students can more easily balance their course projects with their other personal and professional commitments. Emphasize that instructors in a distance education setting are just as available by phone or email as an onsite instructor to meet student needs.
4. Facilitate a discussion online that forces students to want to respond, once the students are enrolled in an online class. Ask open-ended questions in a discussion board setting that requires students to share their own experiences regarding a certain scenario, express their opinions on a controversial issue or ask questions regarding relevant class topics. Make responding to the distance education discussion at least a few times a week a requirement. Reply positively to students who participate in the discussion, acknowledging them by name.
5. Make an effort to know each distance education learner if you are facilitating an online class. For instance, email each student individually or even call each pupil to ask him about his progress in the distance education course so that you build a personal connection with him.
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