{"id":11863,"date":"2024-09-16T11:06:00","date_gmt":"2024-09-16T15:06:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/nearpod.com\/blog\/?p=11863"},"modified":"2024-09-16T11:40:55","modified_gmt":"2024-09-16T15:40:55","slug":"distance-learning-guide-four-ways-to-increase-engagement-and-participation","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/nearpod.com\/blog\/distance-learning-guide-four-ways-to-increase-engagement-and-participation\/","title":{"rendered":"4 Ways to increase student participation"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

As educators, we are continually challenged to uncover innovative approaches that ignite students’ curiosity, promote their active participation, and ultimately enrich their learning experiences. These techniques serve as timeless pillars of effective teaching, enabling us to create dynamic and interactive learning environments that empower students to thrive academically and beyond. Use these activities with Nearpod to get 100% participation and witness student engagement<\/a> flourish in your classroom. Here are 4 ways to increase student participation through interactive activities.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

New to Nearpod? <\/strong>Teachers can sign up for a free Nearpod account below to access these resources, interactive activities, and engaging lessons. Administrators can schedule a call with an expert to unlock the full power of Nearpod for schools and districts.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Teachers: Sign up for free<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
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Administrators: Schedule a call<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

4 Ways to increase student participation<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

1. Rich media in interactive lessons<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Experiences like labs, discussions, and even field trips open up the door for hands-on, minds-on learning. These engaging experiences are often students\u2019 favorite part of a unit and drive participation even after the activity is over. With Nearpod, you can move from passive to active learning<\/a> by adding Virtual Reality (VR) Field Trips, Interactive Videos, and simulations to drive connections and encourage participation through exploration while embedding questions that spark critical thinking and creativity. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

VR field trips<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Our 350,000 VR field trips<\/a> bring the world into the classroom, and now they are bringing the world into the homes of students. Our immersive VR experiences can be used on any device with or without VR goggles.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Simulations<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Simulations<\/a> can also be part of making those real-world connections. They interest students and enrich the learning process. Simulations allow students opportunities for exploration and hands-on, minds-on learning. With Nearpod\u2019s integrations with PhET, you can easily embed math and science simulations into any lesson!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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2. Formative assessment activities<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Checking for student understanding throughout your lesson not only keeps students focused but also gives teachers real-time insights into student learning<\/a>. When classrooms aren\u2019t physically together, it\u2019s even more important for students to be able to show what they know and for teachers to get a pulse on what their students have learned. On the other hand, during regular in-person learning, not all students raise their hands. Nearpod provides the opportunity to hear from all students.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Formative assessment is a hallmark feature of Nearpod and student participation. You can choose from a variety of question types that give students multiple ways to demonstrate learning (and have fun!). Examples include Poll, Time to Climb, Draw It<\/a>, and more. These activities are engaging for your students and provide you with reliable data on their level of understanding.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Add Nearpod\u2019s formative assessment features to any point of your lesson or video for pre-determined checks for understanding, and hear from every student for every activity!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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3. Fostering classroom community<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Class community is an important part of increasing participation and student motivation<\/a>. With Nearpod, you can build classroom routines and foster class community, even from a distance.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Gamification<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n

One way to create a class community is through routines that bring joy (and sometimes even a little competition) to your classroom. Try using our Time to Climb quiz game<\/a> as a way to assess students’ prior knowledge or as a summative assessment at the end of the week. This can be built in a moment of structure that the whole class will look forward to, and the competition and excitement will engage your students, no matter where they are. You can create your own or use our premade Time to Climb quizzes from our Lesson Library<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Collaborate Boards<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Our interactive virtual discussion board, the Collaborate Board<\/a>, is a great way to encourage student interaction. Students contribute responses by posting them to the prompt on a message board, similar to live online discussions. Responses can be text, images, or both, meaning that student participation can happen at anytime, and you can hide student names for anonymity. Collaborate Boards are great for:<\/p>\n\n\n\n