This week, we are talking about effectiveness when it comes to online teaching and learning. There are so many aspects to consider, and most of those, people did not get a chance to think about when they were thrown into online learning when the pandemic began. 

We think now that we are beginning to catch our breath and seeing the light at the end of the tunnel, in many ways, it’s a good time to stop and consider what to look for in online classes because online learning is here to stay. 

For Donna, our founder, the past three years of online teaching taught her many things about effectiveness in online teaching. Since many of her learners chose to stay for extended periods of time, 87 weeks is the current leader (at the time of writing), we think they would agree.      

“Nothing is a bigger compliment than learners enthusiastically choosing to attend your classes week after week for the better part of two years running”, Donna tells us. Even though it was a process for her to get there, NLA educators and learners alike will reap the benefits of her experience. 

One of the aspects she has noticed is the duration of classes. Zoom fatigue is real, as most of us would agree. Endless online meetings, while convenient, proved draining due to increased screen time, seeing ourselves on camera constantly, reduced movement opportunities, and increased cognitive load (Ramachandran, 2021).  The way we process information on a virtual call is significantly different, and therefore the length of the class needs to be relative to the learner’s ages. 

Through experience, Donna suggests 15-25 min classes for 3-6 year olds, 30-40 minute classes for 7-10 year olds, 45-55 minute classes for 11-13 year olds, and no more than 75 minute for learners 14+. Sometimes shorter or longer classes are needed depending on the topic, but that should be the exception not the rule, because like we mentioned last week, engagement also plays a role in the effectiveness of teaching and learning online. 

Another aspect is class size. While this aspect is also relative to both the topics and the ages of the learner, we believe that 12 learners is an ideal number, and the maximum should be 15. However, some classes may need to be much smaller for a variety of reasons, such as younger learners, conversation focus, higher need for feedback and guidance, and more. Here at NLA, our educators take each of these aspects into consideration when designing classes because our goal is to give time and space for involvement, improved learner focus, and improved communication as we continue to build our learning community. 

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Until next time!

Northern Lights Academy Team

 Ramachandran, V. (February 23, 2021). Stanford researchers identify four causes for ‘Zoom fatigue’ and their simple fixes. Stanford News. https://news.stanford.edu/2021/02/23/four-causes-zoom-fatigue-solutions/