Distance learning or remote learning has come a long way since it first started. Today, it is generally seen as an important teaching method in ensuring students receive the proper education they need in times when it is not possible to hold lectures in the classroom due to extended suspension of classes and other unprecedented reasons.

If your school has decided to engage in remote learning, it is only natural that you (either as a student or an educator) want to make sure that learning is maximized. With that in mind, here are a few tips to help you do just that:

Tips for Students

1. Stay in a Distraction-Free Environment During Sessions

There are a ton of potential distractions when your school starts remote learning, especially if you’re staying at home. Prior to the start of the distance education program, it’s a good idea to set up a dedicated study area. Make sure this area is not near a television, gaming consoles, and other potential distractions. This way, you can fully focus on your virtual classroom sessions and maximize learning.

2. Take Advantage of Being Online During Class

It isn’t often that you get to go online and look up references on the topic at hand in the middle of a classroom lecture. However, you can easily do this in an online learning set-up. While listening to your professor, try to find online resources on the fly that supplement the lesson–and don’t forget to share it with the class. Interacting in this way can help further the discussion on a particular topic that you don’t fully understand.

3. Use Your Learning Platform Outside of Lectures

Sometimes, feelings of isolation are inevitable, especially if you are unable to leave your home. To avoid feeling this way, turn to your online learning platform. There’s no reason why you and your friends can’t use the platform to see each other, socialize, and study. This can be quite useful if you believe yourself to be a social learner.

Tips for Educators

1. Keep Lectures Interactive for Your Students

Contrary to popular belief, online learning can be as interactive as you want it to be. You can easily dedicate fifteen minutes during your lecture for students to enter a private group chat and discuss the topic at hand. You may also want to see if your platform allows you to give control of the presentation to a student. This way, you can have students give presentations or even have a student “come up to the whiteboard” and solve math problems. Alternatively, you can use polls to get the opinions of students regarding future lecture topics or project ideas. Don’t forget: frequent interaction with you and fellow students is a good way for someone to retain what is discussed in class.

2. Always Record Your Lessons

There may be times when students are unable to make it on time for the start of the live lecture. This may be due to Internet connection issues or a family emergency. Given this, it’s a good idea to record your lectures and send this recording to your students at the end of every session.

Recording lessons is also a good way to help your students break down material into sections, making it easier to understand the lesson. This is especially important if you have a tendency to cover a substantial amount of material per lecture. Having a recording allows students to go back to certain parts of a lecture and catch details they may have missed the first time.

3. Be Available Beyond Your Class Schedule

One of the educational advantages of being on campus is that students who need extra help can easily approach you with questions. This can be a little difficult if you and your students are following a remote learning program for an extended period of time. In such cases, make sure you set aside a few hours of your day for student consultations through the appointed communication platform.