Engaging Students in Virtual Instruction through Opportunities to Respond

Timothy Knoster, Danielle Empson

• Publisher: Brookes Publishing
• Year: 2022
• Print ISBN:
  9781681256085
• eBook ISBN:
  9781681256207
• Edition: 1
• Topic: Education
• Subtopic: Behavioural Management

Enrollment in virtual and blended schools is on the rise—introducing new challenges with student engagement, social–emotional wellness, and behavior management. Help is here with this laminated quick–guide, one of four concise Teacher Survival Guides on Engagement of Students in Virtual Instruction. Brimming with practical, research–based tips and strategies, this guide unlocks one of the keys to success in online learning environments: active engagement of all students. Teachers will discover how to engage students in virtual instruction by offering a wider variety of Opportunities to Respond (OTRs), a strategy that's been associated with improved academic achievement, student empowerment, and less undesired behavior. Tim Knoster and Danielle Empson introduce the benefits of providing multiple OTRs, the different types and modes for student responses, and how to monitor student engagement virtually. GET THE COMPLETE SERIES: The four Teacher Survival Guides on Engagement of Students in Virtual Instruction are filled with the ready–to–use guidance K–12 teachers need to boost engagement, student wellbeing, and positive behavior in virtual settings. Packed with bite–sized nuggets of insight—including keys to engagement, teaching tips, proven strategies, and FAQs—these laminated, six–panel guides will help any teacher take immediate action to support their students' academic, social–emotional, and behavioral success. Learn more about the other quick-guides in the series: Building Relationships With Students and Caregivers to Enhance Learning Through Virtual Instruction
Engaging Students in Virtual Instruction Through Opportunities to Respond
Addressing Undesired Student Behavior During Virtual Instruction

Individual Responding

Individual responding occurs when you present the OTR to individual students. Most virtual instructional platforms provide a hand-raising feature as a basic component.

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FAQS

Q: I want to direct questions equitably to different students. How do I keep track?

A: Use a private running record of students to whom you have directed questions over a targeted time period, such as a week. Consider a random approach to how you select students for response, such as a public lottery, to increase a sense of surprise for the students (as well as yourself). Check out web sites and applications that will help you to randomize your students to enhance a sense of novelty and fun (e.g., wheelofnames.com).

Q: How do I choose students for individual opportunities?

A: Randomly call on students based on your knowledge of students and their confidence level and needs. You can randomly draw craft sticks with your students’ names, use assigned numbers for students in learning groups and ask for responses from a particular numbered student from each group, or try other variations of these approaches.

Q: How can I modify this approach?

A: To relieve pressure on students to respond independently, pose a question, then briefly have your kids pair-share via the private chat feature. Or, go into three or four student breakout rooms (live session) or discussion threads (outside the live class session, within a targeted time frame in advance of an upcoming synchronous session). Let students know in advance that you will be randomly calling on individuals to share their responses.

Q: How can I vary questions?

A: Integrate different levels of questioning reflective of Bloom’s (1956) Taxonomy (remembering, understanding, applying, analyzing, evaluating, an...

Table of contents

• Cover
• Why Are Opportunities to Respond Important?
• RESPONSE TYPE 1: Individual Responding
• RESPONSE TYPE 2: Group Responding
• RESPONSE TYPE 4: Peer-to-Peer Responding
• 6 RESPONSE MODES
• Data Collection to Monitor Engagement
• References
• About the Authors
• Copyright