STUDENT ENGAGEMENT IN VIRTUAL CLASS ROOMS

Abstract

The impact of COVID-19 pandemic on the education\xa0sector throughout the globe resulted in closure of\xa0schools, colleges and universities. Consequently,\xa0there was a radical shift to e-learning and digital\xa0classrooms. Even long before COVID-19, there was\xa0already exponential growth and incorporation of\xa0technology in the education sector. It may be language\xa0apps, virtual tutoring, video conferencing tools, or\xa0online learning softwares, a momentous spurt has\xa0been noticed in usage of information technology since\xa0COVID-19. It is alarming that challenges associated\xa0with the transition to online learning would have the\xa0greatest impact on students learning capabilities in the\xa0midst of this chaos, as the strategies followed by\xa0teachers in a conventional classroom differs from\xa0those adopted in a virtual classroom. students\xa0engagement strategies in a traditional class at the\xa0campus differs from a virtual classroom. Basically,\xa0student engagement is a measure of how often a\xa0student attends to a task, assignment or activity during\xa0a class session. Studies clearly indicates positive\xa0relationships between student engagement and\xa0academic achievement. Engaged learners have\xa0demonstrated stronger satisfaction with learning\xa0experiences, stronger achievement in courses and\xa0increased graduation rates. When it comes to\xa0learning, commitment shown by students is affected\xa0by the level of motivation, concentration and\xa0cognitive aptitude of a learner, as well as the nature of\xa0online courses and the decisions of an instructor about\xa0his specific facilitation style.\xa0Efficient virtual coursework needs much more than\xa0 giving a Zoom account to any professor and letting\xa0the instructor take his course. Online teachingrequires a deliberate, careful approach to instructional\xa0design; particularly at a time when students are\xa0transiting at an astounding level following the\xa0COVID-19 outbreak. The concept of online learning\xa0is absolutely new for many students. Mostly students\xa0promoted to colleges from secondary schools are\xa0inexperienced and have inculcated habit of being\xa0spoon fed during early years. For such students anapproach of online teaching is highly unacceptable.\xa0Teachers need to be transparent about the aspirations\xa0of students and proactively train students, how to\xa0participate in this new landscape of learning. An\xa0increasing body of evidence indicates that the biggest\xa0obstacle to achieve comparable online learning\xa0success rates has been addressing the challenge of\xa0fostering the kind of collaboration students\xa0interaction and discussion, that are often the\xa0trademark for creating excellent teaching and\xa0learning environments. While it can be difficult to\xa0anticipate any struggle that a student may be\xa0e x p e r i e n c i n g w i t h o n l i n e l e a r n i n g , c l e a r\xa0communication is the key.