Engagement Strategies and Tools by Brett Dabbs

Pros and Cons

bdabbs — 2023-11-30 02:19:27 UTC

There are pros and cons to both traditional classrooms and online environments. Data collected before and during the COVID-19 pandemic have shown that in-person learning, on the whole, leads to better academic outcomes, greater levels of student engagement, higher rates of attendance, and better social and emotional well-being, and ensures access to critical school services and extracurricular activities when compared to remote learning (US Department of Education, n.d.). Pros to online learning very from flexibility, balance, no commute and more options for every learning style.

1. Online Engagement Strategy: Choosing your main learning management system

bdabbs — 2023-11-30 02:20:48 UTC

Choosing your main learning management system (Google Classroom, Canvas, Microsoft Teams, etc.) is essential. It is important to have a routine place for students to go to for lessons, information, assignments, and assessments. Within that learning management system, it is ok and highly encouraged to use multiple formats within your main learning management system. One of the excellent ways to ensure student engagement in online learning is using multiple formats to make virtual classes more interesting for learners (Sharma, 2023).

2. Online Engagement Strategy: Expectations and Engaging lessons

bdabbs — 2023-11-30 02:21:16 UTC

Setting clear expectations and creating short and engaging lessons is also a great strategy. This helps students to stay engaged, it will allow for better structure, less confusion, better focus and deeper understanding. This allows students to know what is expected of them throughout the class. If your main learning management system is Google Classroom, they have great resources available to help you.

3. Online Engagement Strategy: Set Up Office Hours

bdabbs — 2023-11-30 02:21:22 UTC

As a technology coach, it is important to remember to find time to set up office hours. Teachers, staff and students need to know that you are there to help them and holding office hours will help them with specific questions they may have that require a real time conversation. You will need to be understanding with your teachers, students and families in knowing that it takes time to learn new things. If you want to be more organized and know who wants to meet with you, you can use Google Sheets to help you set up a weekly schedule where people can sign up for a time to meet with you. Showing that you understand and care shows those that are putting forth the effort to follow your suggestions that you are fully invested.

4. Online Engagement Strategy: Developing Relationships

bdabbs — 2023-11-30 02:21:29 UTC

This will also help with the strategy of developing relationships. When students feel supported, they’re more likely to engage in learning and have better academic outcomes (Kaufman, n.d.). It is important to make students/families feel actively involved. You could use digital stickers as fun little way to acknowledge involvement. This is easy to do if your main learning management system is Google Classroom.

5. Online Engagement Strategy: Games, Gamified Activities and Virtual Field Trips

bdabbs — 2023-11-30 02:21:36 UTC

Using games or online resources improves student focus and engagement because students are learning by doing. Interactive Games- promote active learning by requiring students to actively participate, make decisions, solve problems, and apply knowledge within a game-based environment (Massman, 2023). Incorporating gamified activities and virtual field trips also improves engagement. Gamification gives you opportunities for game-based quizzes and activities. The gamification of education can enhance levels of students’ engagement similar to what games can do, to improve their particular skills and optimize their learning (Smiderle et al., 2020). Virtual field trips enhance levels of students’ engagement. They allow students to see places that they would not normally have access and provide many of the same learning benefits that actual trips do.

Rationale

bdabbs — 2023-11-30 02:34:42 UTC

The rationale for each strategy is really about making students successful. These strategies most definitely support the needs of all K-12 students. Implementing these strategies can support the needs of K-12 students in both regular education or special education and even those who require modifications and accommodations, English language learners, gifted students, and early finishers.

Resources:

bdabbs — 2023-11-30 02:43:29 UTC

Kaufman, T. (2023). Building positive relationships with students: What brain science says. Understood. https://www.understood.org/en/articles/brain-science-says-4-reasons-to-build-positive-relationships-with-students

Massman , M. (2023). How educational games enhance engagement in K-12 Education. Hurix Digital. https://www.hurix.com/how-educational-games-enhance-engagement-in-k12-education/#:~:text=Educational%20games%20promote%20active%20learning%20by%20requiring%20students%20to%20actively,within%20a%20game%2Dbased%20environment.

Smiderle, R., Rigo, S. J., Marques, L. B., Jorge Arthur Pecanha de Miranda Coelho, & Jaques, P. A. (2020). The impact of gamification on students’ learning, engagement and behavior based on their personality traits - smart learning environments. SpringerOpen. https://slejournal.springeropen.com/articles/10.1186/s40561-019-0098-x

Sharma , N. (2023). Top 8 strategies for student engagement in online learning. Hurix Digital. https://www.hurix.com/top-strategies-for-student-engagement-in-online-learning/

U.S. Department of Education . (n.d.). Supporting students during the COVID-19 pandemic: Maximizing in-person learning and implementing effective practices for students in quarantine and isolation. Supporting Students During the COVID-19 Pandemic: https://www.ed.gov/coronavirus/supporting-students-during-covid-19-pandemic#:~:text=Data%20collected%20before%20and%20during,critical%20school%20services%20and%20extracurricular