Remote learning is taking its toll on our students. They miss the social side of school. Not seeing their classmates or teachers is leading to nervousness, anxiety, and worry. Due to this, remote classes are proven to be less effective than in-person classes. So what can we do to make remote learning more effective for our students? One idea that has proven to work very well is the use of student-driven remote learning.

What Is Student-Driven Learning?

Most traditional learning is made up of lectures and memorization. Student-driven remote learning takes those lectures and either complements them or replaces them with learning guidance and active learning strategies. The teacher becomes more of a facilitator, whose job is to create an atmosphere conducive to independent student learning. This better engages the students, helps the students retain what they learn, improves understanding, and helps students achieve more.

The Characteristics of Student-Driven Learning

There are ten characteristics of student-driven remote learning. These ten things set it apart from traditional education. These characteristics are:

1. The teachers work the hardest.

• The students learn from each other.

• They learn through being actively involved and experiencing things firsthand.

• They take what they learn and apply it to genuine, everyday experiences.

• Teachers offer directed, frequent, and prompt feedback.

• Teachers encourage their students to explain what they have learned to other students.

• The students are encouraged to engage regularly in communication among themselves.

• They understand the subject and why they are learning it.

• They are given tablets or mobile phones on which to learn.

1. Student-driven learning produces a higher degree of engagement.

The Advantages of Student-Driven Remote Learning

There are several advantages to using a student-driven approach to learning in your remote classroom. Here are a few:

• As I’ve already mentioned, it increases the rate of knowledge retention.

• Students also find learning to be more fun in a student-driven remote classroom.

• The students’ participation level is higher than it is with traditional learning.

• Their performance level is higher.

• The students find learning more fun when they are in a student-driven classroom.

• Students work together better.

• Student-driven learning helps students to develop problem-solving skills further.

How Do You Promote Student-Driven Learning?

There are several ways to promote student-driven learning in a remote classroom. Here are a few ideas:

• Always be searching for ways to further integrate technology into the learning experience.

• Utilize breakout rooms to group students together for projects and to enhance collaboration among your students.

• Allow your students to be leaders.

• Let your students take part in the decision-making process.

• Use interactive videos and slides. Pedagogue allows you to create your own interactive videos for use in the classroom.

• Let your students take part in scoring the student assessments.

• Rather than having a classroom where the rules drive the students’ behavior, create a thirst for knowledge and mutual respect in your students. Let that guide behavior instead.

• Create projects that will carry on beyond on lesson.

• Rather than handing out homework, assign learning-based projects that are engaging and fun.

Exploring New Ideas

So what kind of specific things can you do to make your classroom student-driven? Here are some examples:

• Break the students off into breakout rooms and have them quiz each other on what they have learned.

• Break the students off into breakout rooms and have them go over their quizzes together, reviewing their answers. 

• Have a brainstorming session.

• Present an issue. Allow your students to discuss it. If they lack the information to have an informed conversation, send them in search of it.

• Let the students create a quiz for the other students to take. They can use a site like Google Form, Survey Monkey, or Microsoft Form.

• Have the students design an experiment.

• Have a Q & A session.

• Hold a debate between students.

There are so many other great ideas out there. Just remember, you are the facilitator. Engage the students.Let the students lead as you continue to explore new ideas for student-driven remote learning.