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If virtual sessions have taught us anything in the past four years, it's that paying attention to someone lecturing or talking to you on a computer screen is more challenging than doing so when you're physically present. Engaging learners in a virtual space requires a blend of creativity and technology to make the learning experience interactive and effective. Here are five key strategies to help you achieve that:

1. Use a “Graphic Organizer”

One effective method to engage learners is by encouraging them to use a graphic organizer. Ask your learners to have a blank piece of paper and a pen or pencil ready. As you cover important points, encourage them to write and draw these points. This not only helps in retaining information but also makes the session more interactive and personal.

2. Collaborate on a Digital Whiteboard

In longer sessions, maintaining engagement can be challenging. Using a digital whiteboard can transform these sessions into collaborative environments. Tools like Jamboard or Miro allow learners to complete card sort activities, brainstorm, and add their thoughts and questions to the board in real-time. This active participation fosters a sense of community and keeps everyone involved.

3. Employ Chat Box Features

The chat box is a powerful tool in virtual learning. One engaging activity is the “Chat Storm.” Ask everyone to write their most important takeaway from the session so far in the chat box but not to press the enter key until you give the signal. This creates a “storm” of responses all at once, ensuring that no one is influenced by others’ answers and allowing for a spontaneous and rich discussion.

4. Try an active Myth or Fact Game

To inject some physical activity into your virtual sessions, try the Myth or Fact game. Read statements that are either myths or facts and ask participants to move to the left if they think it’s a myth and to the right if they think it’s a fact. You can get creative with this and have people perform other fun movements. This can be done with cameras on to check for understanding or with cameras off for a quick review, followed by a short explanation of the answers to reinforce the content.

5. Get creative with a Data Hunt

A data hunt is a fantastic way to encourage active learning. Provide your learners with a list of words, concepts, or questions, and have them search for definitions, answers, or images that represent key concepts they learned. Using the internet or available resources, learners can actively engage with the material and reinforce their understanding through research and discovery.

Conclusion

Integrating these strategies can significantly enhance the virtual learning experience. By using graphic organizers, digital whiteboards, chat box activities, interactive games, and data hunts, you can create a more dynamic, engaging, and effective learning environment. Remember, the key to successful virtual learning is interaction and involvement. Keep your learners engaged, and they will not only retain more information but also enjoy the learning process.