Online Teaching Apps : A Complete Guide For Teachers
Teaching Online: Ways to making it easier
The coronavirus pandemic has changed the way of learning for our children. Online teaching is on the rise and more schools & colleges are moving on to complete online education for their students. Teachers are busy preparing the lessons for online classes. They are in search of better options that can be adopted to make online teaching much smoother and engaging.
Designing an online course and teaching online lessons requires flexibility, patience and creativity. With a little adjustment, commitment and practice, online education can be made much easier and interactive. First of all, it is critical to plan lessons that provide very clear instructions. Including resources like recorded video sessions, pdfs and animations in online classes can be a great option to make the lessons easy to understand. Providing such options could also be a great advantage for the students who are struggling with internet access.
Before starting live online sessions, it is essential to set up an adequate work environment. Select a calm, quiet place and keep the area free from all distractions. During online class sessions, ask for feedback from the students and also enable learners to review each other’s work. Provide interactive activities such as quizzes and games that are directly related to academics. And also, it is always important to rely on a high-speed internet connection, so that you won’t face any interruptions or other network issues while taking classes.
Things to be kept in mind for data security by teachers
Some online teaching apps allow tech service providers and third parties to collect sensitive student data, putting their privacy and personal security at risk. So, it is the responsibility of teachers and parents to ensure the data security of the child and provide a safe online learning experience.
Using encrypted websites, tools and applications is the best way to protect student data. Use only websites that have ‘HTTPS in their URL. In the case of web and mobile applications, verify the privacy policy of the entire app and the tools present in the app. Other safety measures that can be implemented for safe learning are creating secure login passwords, logging out of the accounts after use, safeguarding personal information by not sharing them with others, avoiding clicking on phishing scam links and securing the social media accounts.
Streamlined Activities in student DBMS
Student database management systems help in storing and managing the data related to the activities of students and educational institutions. The software enables organizing information in cloud-based servers. A user can access this data, edit it and update it whenever required. The highly secured storage helps in assisting online education by minimizing paperwork, managing communication, attendance tracking, setting up reminders for online classes and maintaining all records that enable smooth online teaching.
Methods to understand student behaviour
Student behaviour can be a significant concern in carrying out effective online tutoring. Smartphone apps for online teaching that support video conferencing, student analytics data and learning management systems focus on assisting in understanding the student behaviour pattern to enable better teaching experiences. Student behaviour can be analyzed by talking to them in private, conducting evaluations, creating easy to follow daily schedules and making eye contact with all of the students present in the class.
Preparation of study materials and their sharing
Online tutors require supporting study materials and better teaching aids that facilitate easy learning. The content of the study materials can be shared during live classes or given as homework. Google docs, PDFs and Microsoft Office files serve as an easy to use option for preparing and sharing digital documents required for online classes.
Qualities of a good app from a teacher's perspective.
Online educational applications for teachers must include various features required to simplify the teaching process and support the learners in the learning process. The indispensable features provided below can assist in enhancing online education.
- – Easy to login facility and a dashboard that helps the user to create a profile within a few minutes and save their preferences.
- – Option for viewing and listening to live lectures as well as pre-recorded video and audio classes.
- – Push notifications that keep the user updated about all the important activities.
- – A knowledge testing section to conduct quizzes and mock tests on various topics related to the subject.
- – An interactive interface and engaging content that helps to grab the eye of a user.
Teaching environment management while teaching online (stress-free learning)
Online teaching can be stressful for tutors who are new to this mode of education. To get free from that stress, a teacher is required to be patient, especially in learning new tools and introducing them to the students. Build an engaging environment by taking time to understand the individual needs of the students and asking questions. Analyze the student behaviour and communicate constantly to let them know when they are on the right track.
Major challenges and remedies
Many of the challenges in online teaching can arise from student engagement. Students might find it difficult to adapt to a new learning environment. Educating the student on how to use online learning platforms, getting them engaged in live classes & building a positive learning atmosphere between the teachers and students will help in cultivating a productive learning environment.
The lack of a high-speed connection can result in poor online teaching and learning experiences. It adversely impacts the student’s learning experience by creating interruptions in joining the online sessions and causing them to miss live classes. Teachers are required to take care in using a high-speed connection for online classes and recommending the parents to use similar stable connectivity.
Sometimes, the students might find it difficult to manage time in live virtual learning. In such cases, provide them with a proper schedule that helps in managing time. This can be done by creating a list of daily activities for the students and breaking down large activities into smaller ones.
Tips for easy evaluation of online exams
The best app for online teaching is the one that also helps in facilitating online exams, apart from conducting live classes. As online exams are new to the students, you’ll have to make them get ready by providing clear and specific instructions on how to attend and complete the examinations. Make sure that the students can easily complete the examinations within the given time.
Choose multiple assessment methods like providing MCQ, descriptive questions or short assignments. The scoring should be based on the complexity and mode of assessment. The chances of malpractice can be cut down by password protecting the exams, creating multiple versions of questions and using open-ended questions that ask the students to justify their answers.
