How can schools plan their transition to the online learning model for helping students and teachers?

Schools, colleges, and universities everywhere have closed their doors since March this year due to the COVID-19 crisis. Educational institutions around the world are implementing online education models to ensure students remain connected. 

Online learning in an education system

Online education has received appreciation from all corners.  However, as this is a new format for several schools, changing learning and teaching habits has not been easy for teachers and students during the last three months. 

Fortunately, many education tech startups have stepped in to help schools and colleges by offering free access to their classes and study materials. The new approach yields positive results for students as they shift from the traditional ‘memorizing and replicating’ learning model to an engaging and interactive learning process. 

How to get started with online learning?

Educational institutions that have tailor-made school administration software and learning management systems (LMS) do enjoy the upper hand when it comes to moving teachers and students towards online education. 

Arranging time and date of online classes or teaching sessions

Administrators can coordinate with teachers, professors, and guest lecturers so that online classes can be planned accordingly. The school management system or ERP can be programmed to schedule online live lectures, and issue alerts via emails, and text messages to students and teachers. 

The ERP system can also share links, files for study materials in advance with students so that they remain well prepared for the session. 

Sharing video lessons, e-notes, and study materials 

For creating an enhanced learning experience, teachers and school administrators should use learning materials in multiple forms.  

A blended approach can prove to be better, especially for schools in which some students do not have access to a personal laptop or desktop computer. A plan with a blended technology approach can be perfect for training students who are at various educational levels. 

E-learning videos are a superb way of delivering education. If students fail to attend a live online class, they can always watch the recorded video for the session. 

Teachers can also share links from Khan Academy, Byju’s, Howcast, Cosmo Learning, Brightstorm, Coursera, EdX, Scholastic, and other online learning platforms that provide free access to their content. These startups offer video as well as audio lessons (podcasts) for students. 

E-books combined with scanned copies of notes (PDFs), and text documents are some of the most preferred mediums for delivering education. Even kids who do not have access to computers or laptops can access the material using their basic smartphone. 

Educational institutions that have already converted their study materials into digital format in the past won’t have to worry. However, schools that do not have modules in digital format need to be ready with the content plan before the beginning of the new educational year.

There are online tools that can help in creating digital study materials. Schools can also outsource the job of converting physical study materials into digital formats. 

Design the courses as per the requirements

Dividing the course materials into topics and sub-topics can be a good idea. Setting the sections as per the level of difficulty can help teachers. The most challenging ones should be discussed during live online classes. Doing so can help students understand the topic better and get clarification for their doubts.

Evaluate the level of understanding with a quiz after the end of each module

Tests, assignments, or a quiz after every session can help assess what the trainees have learned during the online course. Plus, it also acts as a motivation factor as children try their best to score better. Teachers can create tests and assign the same to every student using the LMS system, or via Google Forms, Microsoft Forms.

Parents’ involvement can aid students in learning 

Not just in India, but even students in parts of the United States are finding it difficult to connect to the internet and join the online classes. An article published by the New York Times has pointed out how and why students end up missing online classes.       

The best way to motivate such students is by directly involving their parents in daily learning activities. Research has already proved that the involvement of parents can positively impact the child’s education. Kids from families with diverse economic backgrounds can benefit from the same as per findings published by the Harvard School. Parent-teacher communication apps can play a crucial role in connecting teachers and parents. 

Teachers and school administrators can program the school management system software to track students’ attendance during online classes, their quiz scores, and send the same to the parents in the form of app notifications. 

If you are searching for a trustworthy edu-tech company that can provide a school management system and parent-teacher communication apps, you should connect with MyEdu’s team of experts. The firm can make your school’s transition to digital learning smooth and easy.

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