Online lesson fatigue?
It’s been
nearly a year since online teaching was adopted - practically overnight - and
it has been on and off ever since, for most teachers all over the globe. The
initial praising by learners and parents who appreciated teachers’ hard work seems to have been
replaced by a feeling of fatigue, both for learners and teachers. According to
Stanford researchers, it can be
attributed to 4 causes related to the technical features of video conferencing
(Four
causes for Zoom fatigue and their simple fixes)
However, there are elements of lesson planning
that may contribute further to online lesson fatigue. Below you can read some possible causes of
fatigues and some suggested solutions. Though they may not be panacea, they can
help you improve the lesson or prevent further fatigue.
· Excessive TTT
Excessive
Teacher Talking Time (Teacher Talking Time) can tire learners in a “brick and
mortar” classroom, let alone a virtual one.
Often teachers feel that the only tool they have is their voice but in
fact, they can make the most of the tools given by inviting learners to
contribute with their views in the chat box; applying different forms of
interaction through breakout rooms and inviting learners to share their work in
the forms of presentations.
· Balancing
synchronous and asynchronous
Not all tasks
can or need to be done synchronously. Long texts, checking vocabulary and
grammar exercises can take a long time of the lesson which often results in
learners switching off their cameras and their minds. Dividing the tasks that
need to be done synchronously (during the teleconference) or asynchronously
(students do them at their own time and pace) is a necessary part of online
lesson planning.
An array of
tools like Forms, Quizizz, and Kahoot
allow you to turn tedious tasks into game-like activities (gamification)
that can give learners instant feedback and the opportunity to do them as many
times as they need. In addition, the teacher can receive (often detailed)
valuable statistics based on the learners’ performance and exploit it to
provide further feedback focusing on weak areas.
· Use of
visuals, video and audio prompts
Engage
learners with visual or audio stimuli. Apply techniques that stimulate their
interest such as: play video sound off and invite them to infer the dialogues; share
on screen cartoon strips or memes without captions and ask learners to write
their own in the chatbox; play sounds or brief audio clips and ask learners to
guess the background and the next parts of the story.
· Challenge
students
Appeal to the
learner’s critical and creative thinking skills. Start the lesson with a riddle
or question that may intrigue them. In an educational system where students are
constantly spoonfed and asked to do meaningless drills, asking them to use
their brain is a change that is more than welcome.
· Ownership
and collaboration
Students often
feel that they are left out of the learning process and they are treated as
robots that do repetitive tedious tasks. Giving learners the opportunity to
choose between two tasks helps stave off that feeling.
Students also
appreciate pair and groupwork, particularly now that they are locked at home. Using
tools that promote collaboration can help learners to produce language. For
instance, you can share with your students an online MS Word document or a Powerpoint presentation
and invite them to create their project on this file.
· Incorporate
short tasks
Don’t forget
that you students have probably spent many hours in front of a screen before
your lesson and their attention span is short. Plan a series of short tasks
rather than a long one. The change is more than welcome and learners are highly
likely to respond better.
Hope you have found the above points useful. No
matter how many difficulties arise, you can rest assured that your learners
appreciate your hard work and support.
Dimitris
Primalis
Hey nice article post in this blog page thanks for sharing a attractive and well define article post. Increase Brand Awareness, Leads & Sales with Best social media marketing service .
ReplyDeleteThanks for sharing this blog with us. You really have Good Knowledge. I really enjoy your Blog
ReplyDeleteHome tuition jobs in Lucknow
Home tutor | Home Tuition services