Effective Blended Learning: Top 3 Student Engagement Strategies

Using learning management system tools to deliver shorter and more engaging content is ideal for engaging learners in blended learning.

FREMONT, CA: Student engagement describes the degree of attention, curiosity, interest, positivity, and passion that learners show when they learn or are taught, which extends to the level of motivation they need to learn and advance in their education. Efficient participation of students in the learning process improves their focus, encourages them to learn from higher-level thinking skills, and motivates ownership of their own learning.

Tackling student participation in a mixed learning setting varies from the conventional classroom, but the same approaches remain applicable around the board. Below are a few basic strategies that can further improve the student's contribution to successful blended learning.

1. Create a Collaborative Virtual Community

According to one research, fostering a group in a mixed classroom is one of the most critical methods for growing and strengthening student participation. Staying linked to their peers while they are not in a physical classroom helps students exchange knowledge, check and leave input on each other's work, agree on assignments, and develop relationships. Synchronous classroom meetings using video conferencing are a piece of a puzzle, but do not ignore the discussion forums on the Learning Management System (LMS) and other professional resources that enable students to interact and teachers to track the contact.

Teachers often spend a simulated class meeting teaching, then record it for students to study at their own time afterward. Instead, they can use the time with the students at a virtual class meeting to discuss a problem together, work together on assignments, or do the supervised practice. If one expects students to be involved in a blended learning environment, it needs to be substantive.

2. Design the Blended Learning Program with Shorter and Attractive Content

Using LMS tools to deliver shorter and more engaging content is ideal for engaging learners in blended learning. Video lectures that are longer in duration are often ignored, which may increase the possibility of students missing valuable information. Shorter and more lively interactive content has been shown to engage a virtual student and further broaden student interaction.

When it comes to blending learning and engagement, the key is always to think creatively. In today's society, especially since COVID-19, students are eager and trained to gain knowledge in its fastest, most concise form. Think about chunking the content. Chunking means breaking down the contents into smaller pieces that are simpler for the brain to digest. Organize content in a logical manner that guides the learning experience without complicating it.

3. Set Targets and Reflect on Them Regularly

Students need to be aware of what and why they learn it and their progress towards meeting standards. Teachers should build on frequent chances both individually and as a class, to set the objectives of the S.M.A.R.T. (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-bound) and reflect on what the students have learned. Using these quantifiable, student-centered goals, students become more accountable for their own learning than just passive participants in what they are taught. Use the physical classroom and virtual classroom goal setting and evaluation to create personal connections to the student's individual learning objectives. In this way, students will understand that even though the setting may change, the purpose of learning is consistent.