4. Create visuals to engage those online. In the absence of a physical classroom, instructors must rely on visuals to engage and communicate with their students. One consequence of this shift to online learning is that it becomes increasingly difficult for students and instructors to have interaction, especially when they may not ever meet in-person. However, using visuals like video enable instructors to connect with students on a more personal level.
5. Create visuals to spur interaction. When creating visuals, instructors can incorporate interactive features like discussion boards or quizzing. This way, students can post questions or comments and begin conversations with the instructor and other classmates. Visuals make it easier for students to collaborate and bounce new ideas and opinions off each other. Interactivity is necessary to keep students’ attention and remain engaged with the content they are being taught.
6. Create visuals to add a humanizing element to the online experience. By creating a short introduction video, students will feel like they are having a one-on-one interaction with the instructor right next to them. Students get to see their instructor, hear their voice, and even read tone and body language. Videos like this do not have to be perfect. In fact, informal videos can humanize the instructor and help his or her personality come through. Students want to hear from their instructors, so it is best to just be their natural self. Personalized videos allow students and instructors to still interact and build that important connection for learning, despite the physical limitations.
Beyond technology enabling students to have more flexibility in how they choose to learn, it allows instructors to have better visual communication in the classroom. Although one tradeoff of having online-only classes is a lack of in-person contact with the instructor, visual communication can still allow for those relationships to develop. With visuals, instructors and students are able to clearly communicate, remain engaged and get set on a path for success.
Ryan Eash is the Learning and Development Specialist for TechSmith, the go-to company for visual communication, where he is responsible for designing, implementing, and maintaining training curriculum to help educators succeed with image- and video-creation tools. Ryan is also currently an adjunct faculty member at Lenoir-Rhyne University in Hickory, NC.
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