Attention Factors
Our experience is that the attention of remote students wanders more easily than in face-to-face classes. Probably because there is less stimulus and sense of connection with the instructor
- Make course materials colorful and visually interesting
- Try to make things more interactive: switch tools, have web pages that students interact with.
- If possible, ask questions with audio. Without that, you could give opinion polls and quizzes. I prepare ahead of time a web page with a form with the questions.
It is helpful to have a mentor/support person at the delivery site. This person can help monitor student questions, assist with the chat, and so on. Talk to them before class to plan roles.