Interaction and engagement enhance students’ commitment to learning and increase their interest in the subject. Class discussions help students organise information and deepen their understanding, while peer support enables them to learn from one another and co-construct new knowledge. Interaction helps to ensure that students feel heard and fosters both pedagogical well-being and a sense of community.
Dialogue is a shared process of reflection based on equal participation, aiming to create a common understanding of the topic under discussion. Teachers can promote interaction and engagement by creating space for dialogue, listening actively and taking an interest in students’ thoughts and ideas.
You can encourage students to share their opinions and ask questions. You can also summarise the key points, rephrase questions, and place topics in a broader context. It is also useful to discuss interaction openly with students and to reflect on and assess its level as the course progresses.
In face-to-face settings, spontaneous interaction is supported by discussions and group work. Gestures, facial expressions and physical presence help to build connections. When the whole group is in the same space, activating teaching methods that foster interaction and a sense of community are easier to implement.
In hybrid settings, where some students attend in person and others remotely, interaction can be promoted through multichannel discussions, for example.
In virtual teaching settings, real-time interaction requires careful planning. Possible strategies include using breakout rooms, allocating speaking turns, enabling annotations and encouraging chat participation. Keeping cameras switched on greatly enhances interaction and engagement, as expressions, gestures, emotions and energy are conveyed far more effectively than through audio alone.
Team building and interaction in a virtual environment
When teaching online, pay special attention to team building. In virtual settings, the group members can easily remain faceless, as informal conversations and introductions are harder to facilitate than in a physical classroom. Students are more likely to commit to the group and its goals when they feel connected and know the other members, at least on some level. Teachers should create opportunities for informal discussion or set aside time for team-building activities at the start of a virtual session. Before moving on to assignments, you can encourage the group to agree on working methods and schedules and define shared goals.
Group assignments can focus on activating or motivating students, problem-solving, or uncovering prior knowledge and conceptions. Assignments play a key role in virtual environments, as they help to structure and pace the learning process, much like in-person classes. They also enable teachers to guide learning in the desired direction and support students in processing and applying their new knowledge.
In virtual settings, interaction and communication often take place in textual form. Because gestures and facial expressions are absent, misunderstandings can occur. In a virtual environment, messages are also used to signal one’s presence.