Twelve months ago, providing students with a high-quality education without them being in the classroom was a challenge that few teachers would have considered important. Today it is the main topic up for discussion. From conversations with staff, students and management it is easy to identify one major contributing factor that has improved student engagement and productivity when working at home: consistency.
So how do make sure students have a consistent experience?
Firstly, the simplistic design of our lessons. Rather than having numerous lesson plan templates, we recommend remote lessons are planned using one simple template (MKC E-Plan) so that it’s familiar for students when they’re completing their learning from home.
Figure 1 - MKC E-Plan: (Click HERE to access)
Each lesson should start with a Desk Work/Starter activity for students. Upload the key features that students would typically receive in the classroom, such as key definitions and learning objectives, in order to meet students’ usual expectations. Embed relevant links to videos/websites at the start of the lesson where possible, to reduce any distraction caused by students having too many tabs open. Round off learning by dedicating 10-15mins to a plenary style assessment. Check what knowledge the students are leaving with and identify the gaps so you can support effectively.
Secondly, you can create consistency by using resources that students are comfortable with. MKC research found that the number one feature students wanted from internal and external platforms was ease of use. Staff mirrored this understanding in their responses (see figure 1 below).
Figure 2 - Staff responses to system features of commonly used ILT platforms
Finally, we need to think carefully about the volume of work that students receive within each remote lesson. Ensuring that students access the full curriculum is vital, but we understand that completing four full lessons in a day, without the structure and support normally received in College, can be a challenge for some students.
Being mindful that tasks and lessons are of a realistic length with realistic expectations can have a positive impact on maintaining student engagement. Our excellent pastoral team are in touch with students at home to provide support and ensure that they access the work. Make sure you are linking up with them regularly for updates.
Remote education will continue to grow and develop in the coming months, but the steps above may help us to simplify access to a full curriculum at home, while ensuring that they feel supported and appropriately challenged.
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