As students continue with online learning, it has been shown to increase retention of information, and take less time. However, experts say that for all the advantages they offer, virtual classrooms also present significant challenges. Mark Ndagijimana, a teacher at GS Ruhango Catholique, Southern Province, says that the virtual nature of the class can leave students feeling disconnected and disengaged from the material, therefore, knowing how to ensure all students participate fully in the classroom is essential. He points out that the question educators should ask themselves is ‘how can they engage and excite their virtual students when they are not together’? To improve students’ engagement in the virtual classroom, he says, create an engaging atmosphere. He explains that it’s vital for educators to help students feel connected to each other and to them (instructors), by offering up a chance that will enable the students to learn more about each other. “A virtual classroom helps build individual learning plans for students,” he adds. Ndagijimana further notes that it includes incorporating technology that will allow an instructor to actively track each student’s performance. By assessing a student’s performance, he says one can discover ‘holes in their knowledge’, adjust the pace of the lessons, and determine what type of learning they respond to most. When it comes to virtual learning, Janvier Mugabo, a French-English teacher in Kigali, says it’s easy for some students to feel isolated, and this, he says, is a big issue which can quickly lead to disengagement. To solve this, he recommends that the instructor encourages or requires virtual face-to-face interactions. “For instance, an educator can record videos of their lectures so that the students can be able to see their teachers’ faces,” he says. Moving forward, he says it’s also important to encourage or require students to meet in small groups via video conference, depending on the level of the learners. Another issue, Mugabo notes, is that sometimes it’s hard for students to feel engaged in class if they only listen to instructors and give feedback through writing. He says that depending on the topic of the class, encouraging students to find creative ways to solve problems or express themselves is important. Another great way to fight isolation among virtual students, he says, is to assign partners, groups, and class projects. He says that when students collaborate, they combine their creativity, share unique perspectives, and create relationships that will help them feel more comfortable participating in class. “It will also keep them focused because they won’t want to let their colleagues or team down,” he says. Ndagijimana points out that when it comes to this kind of learning, communication is always key from both sides. “It’s hard to know if a student is falling behind or feeling bored unless there is clear communication between the two parties,” he notes. He further highlights that when it comes to virtual classrooms, it is easy for students, especially those who are shy or disinterested, to remain silent unless a teacher makes a concerted effort to reach out. He also notes that if an educator wants to know if students feel engaged and are grasping the material, questioning is the best way to go. “Consider creating anonymous polls that allow students to let you know what they really think,” he says. He adds that this is a great way to assess how much they know about the topic at the beginning of class, what assignments they want, if a topic needs more discussion, and what they would recommend changing at the end of the class.
