It can be difficult to transfer the engagement from a classroom or an in-person tutoring session to an online tutoring session where the distance can make it harder to keep the student involved. When tutoring online, there is no way to guarantee focus and eliminate distractions - a phone pinging in a classroom is always a no-no, and would be blatantly obvious in an in-person tutoring session, but online it becomes immediately harder to monitor.

Scholar Hub is a digital classroom and learning resources platform for tutors and we have come up with some tips to help you make your online lessons more engaging.

1. Use interactive learning tools - Scholar Hub Pro has screen-sharing and whiteboard features that help split up long periods of listening and are great for visual learners.
2. Turn the learning into a fun game - introduce quizzes, challenges, a points system etc. This makes the learning experience more active and entertaining, and it is especially effective if you are tutoring groups!
3. Use visual aids - Scholar Hub Pro allows educators to share and play media in realtime with the student/s.
4. Encourage participation - for group sessions with older students, it can be great for revision and engagement to assign each an old topic to present/teach to the others with your supervision.
5. Break up lessons - the Pomodoro Method (25 minutes studying then a 5 minute break) is known to be a great tool for studying and there’s no reason why it can’t be applied to online lessons too! You can use the 5 minute break for an interactive task, a stretching/movement break, or even just a conversation.
6. Use real-world examples - time and time again students feel that what they are learning is pointless and has no real-world application, which leads to them being disinterested and unmotivated. A real-world example shows them the value of their learning and makes it more meaningful.
7. Encourage handwritten notes - while taking notes on a laptop is very convenient, especially when doing an online lesson, handwritten notes force students to engage with the material and are better when it comes to revision.
8. Personalise the learning - go further than adapting the teaching to the student’s learning style and where you can, include their hobbies and interests. This will make the student feel more involved and interested.
9. Encourage collaboration - while exams are sat alone, if you’re teaching a group session, encourage collaboration and problem solving together once in a while! Students can learn plenty from each other and it will teach them real-world teamwork skills too!
10. Student choice - offer your student two or three options for the next learning task. By giving them some control over the learning, you keep them engaged.
11. Immediate feedback & celebrate milestones - it is very easy to lose interest and motivation when you feel like you are making no progress. By providing immediate feedback and celebrating all milestones, big or small, you can boost confidence and show your student that their hard work is paying off.