Reimagining Virtual School: Better Learning Strategies for a Digital Future

by KnowledgeWorks Global Ltd.

Last year, at the start of the pandemic when classrooms went virtual, we shared two blog posts highlighting tips for how teachers could use technology to engage with their students, and innovations in remote learning that were changing the playing field. At the time, no one really expected that a year on, many schools would still be relying exclusively on virtual learning, that children who previously craved hours of online time watching television and playing video games would suddenly have screen fatigue, or that the lack of in-person learning would lead to students falling behind, failing, or worse—not attending school at all as this USA Today article spotlights.

Teachers haven’t been immune either. Many are also struggling with screen fatigue, frustration with technology, overwork that comes with rewriting an entire semester of lessons plans, and disappointment that they can’t do more for their students. In January, Chronicle of Higher Education featured an exercise created by Martha Fay Burtis, a learning developer and the associate director of the Open Learning and Teaching Collaborative (CoLab) at Plymouth State University, to help teachers process and reflect on their teaching life now and post-pandemic.

Perhaps the most fundamental problem with this system is the way that school systems approach the use of technology in the classroom, often simply mirroring in-person activities in a digital environment rather than tailoring or reapproaching lessons using different tools that technology offers. When online learning was just a quick fix until students got back to the classroom, that was fine. But as we look ahead to a future with digital learning likely to continue as part of the curriculum to a certain degree, we want to highlight a few ways that schools and educators can reimagine the virtual experience to be more effective for students and teachers alike.

Engage students with flipped classrooms

In a physical classroom, a lecturing teacher can look around the room and physically engage with students, making eye contact, noting if they are distracted or absorbing the information. With cameras off and microphones muted, teachers lecturing online often don’t know if students are even present. At the same time, students could be dealing with home distractions throughout the day, making it even harder to pay attention to a lecture. Many teachers have found success with a flipped classroom, a teaching model which has been used for over 20 years but seems instrumental for making class time more stimulating for both students and teachers. This model asks students to watch online lectures or do course reading at home, in their own time, and practice what they’ve learned in class through discussion, debate, live problem-solving, and student presentations. This learning model provides more support during the higher level of learning—the application of that knowledge—and provides a way for students to be more engaged with the teacher and other students during class time.

Create bite-sized lessons with microlearning

Microlearning is just as the name suggests: small units of information often presented in an interactive environment to allow the student to process content more quickly and in their own time. The benefit of this teaching model is to reduce “cognitive load,” the amount of information working memory can take in, to foster deeper retention of information. Microlearning isn’t new—flash cards are a popular form; but adapting it to an online classroom environment isn’t as widely used. In one study, researchers took microlearning to the next level by focusing on the use of social media platforms. Because students are already on these platforms, they can be adapted to help foster learning, community, and engagement with information in new ways.

Design content for mobile learning

Mobile learning, or mLearning, isn’t just online learning but online learning on a phone or a tablet versus a laptop. Not all students have access to computers, so they must engage with online learning using their smartphones. Teachers must be thoughtful of the type of content they are presenting and make sure it’s something that can be seen and engaged with on the smaller phone or tablet screen. One way for teachers to help create mLearning content is to think about their own smartphone usage and discuss with students the apps and forms of communication they are already using. Are there ways to interact with students on apps where they already spend time? Is there content in the curriculum (videos, reading assignments) that can easily be consumed on a mobile device? This article in Educause Review outlines some helpful tips for embracing mobile learning.

Build community with peer-to-peer learning

In the physical classroom, it is easier to facilitate students presenting information and interacting with each other. For online learning, that can be more of a challenge, but a challenge worth trying to solve. An article in Frontiers in Psychology noted that “studies indicate that when young learners are given expanded opportunities to actively and equitably participate in collaborative learning activities, they experienced feelings of well-being, contentment, or even excitement.” While there are a number of platforms devoted to peer-to-peer learning, such as Brainly, educators can also start on a smaller level by having students lead classroom presentations, discussions, or workshops. Because their peers can often be more approachable, students may be willing to ask questions when they do not understand a concept.

Though technology is not a panacea for all of the struggles with the educational system now and in the future, these established models and tools offer promise for making online learning a more engaging, immersive experience.

KnowledgeWorks Global Ltd. is your source for PreK-12 content development and digital solutions. To find out more about elearning and how we can help you build your digital portfolio, download our free report or email us at info@kwglobal.com.