Transitioning from on campus to online learning can be a major change for your students. Some students will find this time stressful, so we must aim to make this change as seamless as possible.

Here are some tips for your students to ensure that they are getting the most out of this online learning experience:

Keep in touch

Encouraging students to keep in touch with each other can help them continue to feel like part of a community. Communication doesn’t always have to be study related; they could be asking how they’re coping with the change or sharing tips between themselves on how to stay motivated! Connecting with others is vital during this time to reduce feelings of isolation. Setting up a discussion board in your module is a great way to support your students during this time. Help guides on how to do this can be found here: https://eatsupport.tees.ac.uk/staff/

Dedicating study time 

It is important to create a difference between study time and leisure time when learning from home. Study time can become overwhelming if your students do not have the clear differentiation of being on campus and being at home. Encourage your students to create a study space that they don’t use for any other reason.  Alternatively, creating a study timetable which clearly indicates break times is another useful suggestion.

It is recommended to take a short break every 30 minutes. This could be by going on a short walk, reading a book or anything that re-energises the brain!

Two examples of study timetables can be found here:

https://www.musostudy.com/resources/1MM/timetable-todos.docx

https://www.musostudy.com/resources/1MM/timetable-weekly.docx

Being proactive 

Recommend to your students that they check the online platform regularly, especially keeping an eye out for any new announcements and content that has been added to their module. It can be difficult to see which students are struggling with their course from behind a screen, so encouraging them to speak up if they’re finding it hard is essential!

If you need any further support, you can request an online drop-in session by following the instructions here: https://blogs.tees.ac.uk/lteonline/2020/03/20/online-digital-learning-drop-in/ or you can email elearning@tees.ac.uk with any questions.