The 10 best strategies for motivating your students during online courses
The health crisis has forced music schools around the world to adapt, replacing face-to-face lessons with virtual, computer-based distance learning.
Teachers have to rethink their programs and the organization of each of their sessions, students have to adapt to follow their courses online, timetables are modified... the list of changes is long!
Although instruments and sheet music are the foundation of any musical education, it's also important today to know the keys to a successful distance learning course.
Motivation is an important factor in your students' success, and not one to be taken lightly. But it's not easy.
If you want to know the secrets of motivating your students online, you've come to the right place!
1. Be clear and communicate to your students how each session will be carried out.
It can be difficult for students to know how to behave in an online course. They go from a lesson in a classroom with a whole group of musicians and a real-life teacher to a lesson alone in a room in front of a computer.
That's why it's important for them to know what they're going to learn, and to understand how the courses will run throughout the year.
To do this, you can tell them at the start of each session what you have planned for the course, the different exercises you'll be doing and the lessons you'll be teaching them. This way, they'll be able to plan ahead and get involved more easily.
2. Vary musical experiences and exercises in class
Distance learning can sometimes seem harder to follow. There are more outside temptations, and students find themselves alone in front of their cameras.
Even if the courses are no longer face-to-face, this doesn't mean that the exercises have to be any different. Use your imagination and build different exercises together to motivate them and arouse their interest.
Fun activities keep them involved and entertained despite the distance. If you're short of inspiration, here are three ideas for collaborative exercises that you can try out during your online courses.
There's nothing more motivating than learning while having fun!
3. Give your students responsibility
Getting your students active doesn't just mean getting them to do their work in class or their homework. It's also about the different responsibilities you can give them.
You could, for example, give each student an assignment at the start of the course, such as finding a piece they particularly like and asking them to work on it for the next session.
4. Prioritize group work
Music is an art to be shared. Of course, it's possible to play an instrument on your own, but above all it's meant to be shared and played with the people around you.
You can play on the collective aspect of your teaching. As well as being fun, it can stimulate them and develop their creativity. For example, organize an interpretation or composition competition between your students!
5. Tailor your teaching to your students' needs
Not all students in a class function in the same way. Some are more interested in practical work, others in more quiet exercises such as score reading or sight-reading. That's why you need to pay close attention to what motivates them and gets them personally involved.
6. Give them achievable goals
It's essential to give your students goals, so that they can surpass themselves and work assiduously during their lessons. However, you mustn't be too demanding, or give them objectives they feel unable to achieve on their own from home, otherwise they'll lose motivation and become disengaged.
7. Ask for their opinion on the content and running of the course on a regular basis.
When you build your online courses, you organize the course in advance, without your students. It's important to ask them regularly what they think and how it's impacting their learning, to ensure that everything is going according to plan.
What's more, it can be difficult for students to really analyze the evolution of their distance learning. In this case, tracking can be very useful, not only for teachers, but also for students. You can use it to motivate students.
8. Take advantage of the tools at your disposal
Distance learning requires you to reorganize your working methods. We have a range of materials to help you make the transition to digital music learning as smooth as possible.
There are many tools available to help you make the transition to digital. Applications such as Newzik allow you to edit your digital scores with color, audio and video documents, etc., and store your annotations in the cloud. Numerous online sheet music sites (free and paid) are accessible from your browser, giving you access to a wealth of usable content.
It's up to you to find the methods that suit you, and use them to enrich your musical experience!
9. Encourage participation
Participation is the worst-kept secret when it comes to motivating your students. A motivated student is one who feels involved. If, during your lesson, you involve your students by asking them questions, making them think aloud, you can be sure that they will follow the lesson from beginning to end. On the other hand, a lecture during which a student is not questioned and is only there to listen will have the opposite effect. The student won't feel involved and will find it hard not to drop out.
10. Encourage your students
Encourage them to progress and show them that you're there for them if they need you. Make yourself available to answer their questions, be available by email.
You now have all the keys you need to make a success of your distance learning courses!
