Professional Documents
Culture Documents
5 Tips To Get Distance Learners Motivated Right Now
5 Tips To Get Distance Learners Motivated Right Now
There’s plenty of distance teaching tips, tricks, and tools out there provided by online
universities, colleges, and course instructors, but one vital question remains for those of
us whose natural habitat is the classroom:
The answer is motivation. If we can get our students excited to log on and learn each
day, productivity and progress will follow.
Here are five ways to get your students excited and motivated with distance learning.
You can then transition to personal goals designed to inform progress and mastery.
EdTech products such as Mathletics and Readiwriter Spelling make this easy with
points-based systems, so students can easily decide on quantifiable targets for learning.
For example, student goals might be:
Avoid rewarding student achievement exclusively, as this motivates only the top
performers in the class. Instead, give regular rewards to distance learners who:
Rewards and praises don’t just motivate distance learners. They allow them to feel
connected too. A single positive comment lets a student know that their teacher is
still invested in their learning, no matter how far away they happen to be.
Use these advantages to get creative with the way you deliver your feedback. You
could personalise it with a voice recording addressed to an individual student, or attach
helpful online resources for students who are having difficulty.
If you are using text to deliver your feedback, make sure that you keep the tone warm
and personable. Use the student’s name and first-person statements to show that you
are thoughtfully engaging with their work (e.g. “I’m really impressed with what you’ve
done here”).
Download the Hybrid Teaching Survival Kit
Work with parents to motivate students at home
Parents and carers are uniquely placed to motivate their children at home, but you have
to let them know how they can help. Communicate with them directly so they are aware
of:
Remember: while parents can play a vital role in keeping students motivated, keep your
expectations realistic. Parents will not be able to supervise their child for the length of
the school day, or coordinate activities that require sophisticated pedagogical strategies.
Connecting with their peers and their teacher will give your students the extra motivation
that they need to engage with distance learning for an extended period.
The resulting sense of community also plays a vital role in helping students through
such an unprecedented time. Amidst the isolating challenges of long-term school
closure, your students will know that they are never alone.