The pandemic situation, remote learning, and the excessive use of technology have shown that keeping students focused and motivated is essential. Educators and psychologists have faced the problem of emotional belonging as the participation of students in the learning process has decreased.
The key is to use various strategies to motivate the learners and keep them engaged by letting them control their studies and choose how and what they learn.
Top 5 Strategies for Motivating Students
1. Use of Social Campaigns.
Introduce work in the local community or consider basic volunteering tasks. Adding a social element to your course will be a significant change that will help students see the purpose of what they learn. For example, Law students may assist the students who want to start their businesses. Nursing students may create substance abuse awareness posters and campaigns. It will help to see things from a different perspective.
2. Surveys and Student Participation.
These are mainly used at the end of the semester, which is why most college learners tend to ignore them. Think about taking a different strategy by adding surveys before each lesson to learn more about what students struggle with or what they would like to explore. If you find it too challenging to form your questions or work with the feedback, consider Trusted Essay Reviews and get some help as you save time and learn to avoid plagiarism. You can also think about using surveys before Zoom video conferences as an alternative!
3. Team Projects.
The use of team projects should not be ignored. Just do it differently! Ask students about their skills and make a questionnaire where you determine who does what. It will help avoid confusion and let students show their best skills. If you are ready to make things a little more challenging, ask your students to help each other and count it into the final grade, as cooperation is one of those skills that will help the learners do their own tasks.
4. Social Media Strategies.
Another great option is turning to Facebook and Instagram for blogging and analysis purposes. If you are majoring in Fashion Studies or Marketing, it’s best to keep students motivated by allowing them to practice more. It will also help polish the necessary study habits and achieve more clarity regarding the current trends. You can create private groups, hold online debates, and allow students to use the technology they know well. This way, it won’t feel like just another boring lesson!
5. Guest Lectures.
Although it’s not always possible to deal with the physical presence of famous lecturers and entrepreneurs, you can hold special online sessions and invite people worldwide. The presence of guest lecturers will help take your studies to another level. Discuss this aspect with your students and think about who or what could help to keep things inspiring.
The Benefits of Interactive Materials
The chances are high that you have heard about STEM videos and various interactive web boards where people post explanatory materials and let people from all over the world participate. This educational strategy is not new, yet educators rarely implement it. It’s partially because of the limiting course materials they follow and the lack of personal motivation to go beyond them. A combination of textbooks, lectures, and multimedia content will help boost students’ focus and motivate them to learn differently because of the visual aspect. Such a method helps build a much better emotional attachment to what’s being learned. It’s especially relevant for subjects like Geography, History, or Engineering, where concept visualization is essential.
BIO
Joanne Elliot is an educator who loves to seek innovations with the help of technology, a healthy lifestyle, and the lifehacks that help make learning easier. As she offers academic assistance to universities and helps to develop learning materials, Joanne enjoys writing about her discoveries. Follow Joanne to find motivating ideas and learn.
