The COVID-19 has resulted in schools shut across the world. Globally, over 1.2 billion children are out of the classroom. As a result, education has changed dramatically, with the remarkable rise of e-learning. Teaching is undertaken remotely and on digital platforms. As lecturers and their classes have discovered, the number of those attending virtual gatherings declines to turn on their cameras.
1 Build teacher-student relationship
If there is a good teacher-student relationship, students will be more attentive in class and never turn off their cameras. So, teachers will do their best to make the class more exciting and energetic. Try hard to building trust. Pupils who feel safe and cared for by teachers and friends will be more comfortable having their cameras. Tell jokes, share fun videos, sing songs. Teachers can also infuse some playfulness into their content. Covid 19 pandemic changed the world a lot, and funny things are like medicine. If students see their class being silly and fun, they may feel encouraged to join in.
2 Educational games
Word guessing games, Pictionary, and stone, paper, scissors are some games that can encourage learners to be on camera during online classes. Based on age, teachers can choose different types of online games.
3 Use chat feature:
Teachers should welcome students using the chat feature and encourage them to turn on their cameras. Please encourage students to use the chat and reactions to communicate and send a private message to make them feel comfortable and meaningful. Use the “Ask to Start Video” option.
4 Ask learners
Through a survey, ask learners why they turn off cameras. Talk to parents or students during parent meetings if they face problems like shyness, fear, getting no concentration. As a teacher, find a solution with frequent parent-student interaction.
5 Encourage student participation
Try different activities to encourage camera use. For example: In primary grades, prompt learners to find five objects of different shapes around them without moving from their seat like a pen, paper, book. Asking riddles and peer teaching are also playful approaches to building community remotely. Small children love to show their favorite things like toys and crafts to their teachers and friends during class time. Begin the class by asking them to show any craft items or anything related to learning topics.
6 Send private messages
With a bit of encouragement, students will turn on
cameras. Send private messages to students that you are glad to see their faces on screen. You can also say that student’s or kid’s smiling faces on-screen will encourage teachers to teach excitingly. Some children are too scared to socialize with friends on camera. Find out their problems and try to solve them.
7 Play with pets
Some children play with their pets during class time, and they will turn off the cameras. Ask them to show pets to their friends. After that, tell them to concentrate on their class and keep the pets away during work time.
8 Conduct events
Conduct interesting events like Pyjama day, hat day, sports team’s day, school colors day. Just make sure that spirit days are inclusive to everyone and easy to display from the waist up. Assign speeches in breakout rooms.
Conclusion
You can encourage them. You can gently ease their fears by the above methods. We cannot force them to be on camera. Just as during in-person teaching, we cannot force unengaged students to raise their heads or remove hats or hoodies that cover their faces. With experimentation and persistence, however, we can arrive at strategies that work.
