Distance learning can be quite tricky and challenging, especially when it comes to learning motivation. For most students, it is quite difficult to make themselves do the work if they are not in an actual classroom or supervised by a teacher.

As you may already know, there are numerous distance teaching tips, tricAs you may already know, there are numerous distance teaching tips, tricks, and tools available, provided by online universities, colleges, and course instructors. However, one basic question remains for those of us whose natural environment is the classroom, and that is: how to make the students actually do their work when they’re studying remotely.

In order to help you a bit more with the possible answer, here are some ways to get your students excited and motivated about distance learning.

Motivate them with goal setting

Goals are a crucial component of distance learning. Their motivation lies in the fact of letting the students know exactly what it is they need to do in order to learn something.

A good start would be to set common goals that mirror the basic expectations of the classroom. These are actually a soft transition towards individual goal setting; while also maintaining the learning structure as your students know it. For example, completing a certain amount of assigned activities weekly, or accessing all posted lesson content and providing a brief summary of what has been understood.

Moving forward, you can then transition to personal goals which will further benefit both the students and you as a teacher; in order to see who among the entire class has stood out and invested the most effort. Personal goals don’t actually differ that much from the collective ones, but the main difference is to see who individually has proven to be willing and able to go that one step further.

These specific and attainable goals give students a perfect reason to engage with the distance learning process. This way, they are no longer feeling lost on the other side of the screen but logging on each day with a clear, strong objective and a great sense of purpose.

Marion Hall, a writer at BestEssaysEducation, shares her experience with goal-setting: “If you have read the bestseller Atomic Habits, you probably already know that tiny, incremental changes are often more likely to succeed than huge, Herculean goals. Take baby steps and set little, but significant learning goals with your students.”

Motivate through working on yourself as a teacher

Being involved in distance learning can be as stressful for the teachers as it is for students. Teachers are usually used to working in classrooms, which are known as their natural habitat in most of the cases. When a teacher finds themselves in a situation where they should engage in online lessons or courses, there are different e-learning training courses that can truly help them improve and perfect their teaching skills.

Melanie Sovann, a content writing educator at TopEssayWriting, says: “The amount of time and effort you invest in your skills as a teacher will directly show in the classroom. With distance learning, there’s an emphasis on some new skills that were kind of neglected before this. Work on them and hone them.”

If you are a teacher, these courses can help you, especially in the motivation department, as you will among other things acquire additional knowledge on how to motivate your students during this not so habitual situation. Moreover, by improving yourself as a professional, you will directly show your students how learning and improving yourself is an ongoing process regardless of your age and academic status. What a better way to make them study and work more for what they want.

Where can you attend e-Learning trainings and seminars?

The education industry has already acknowledged the demand for training teachers who are teaching remotely. Previously, these trainings and seminars were focused on teachers who work with students around the world via the Internet, but now, the demand is much higher after the coronavirus pandemic. On WiseGlobalTraining, you can find courses for teachers who are working remotely for the first time. 

You can use services like TrustMyPaper (professional writing service) or SupremeDissertations (academic writing experts) to craft your new distance learning curriculum. This will save you time on paperwork and allow you to get more creative with coming up with ideas for teaching.

Motivate through meaningful feedback

Use the advantages of the online lessons to get creative with your feedback delivery.

A good way would be to personalize it for example with a voice recording addressed to an individual student, or an entire class, depending on the task you are addressing.

Furthermore, you could attach helpful online resources for students who are having difficulty; showing them they are not on their own with their problems and difficulties. That kind of approach will surely make them work harder and give them much more stamina to complete their tasks; regardless of the bumps on the road.

Another way of giving feedback is by using text. If that is the method you are using to deliver your feedback, make sure that you keep the tone warm and relatable. Use the student’s name and first-person statements to show that you are engaging with their work thoughtfully.

One thing you should avoid is being too formal and detached from the feedback; so your students won’t feel like you’re doing the work just to get it done, and that you don’t actually care on a more personal level. Having said that, there should always be a tone of professionalism and mutual respect between you and your students, but you should know how to walk that fine line of being the authority and a person they can count on to help them improve what they have already learned at the same time.

Conclusion

To conclude, it is necessary to say the points used in the text are just some of the ways that could help you motivate your students and make them appreciate the online learning process, to a mutual benefit and overall satisfaction. Hopefully, this article will help you make a good starting point.t.