TRADITIONAL CLASSROOM ONLINE LEARNING vs.
SIMILARITIES, DIFFERENCES, HELPFUL TOOLS, AND IDEAS YOU CAN IMPLEMENT IN YOUR ONLINE LEARNING ENVIRONMENT!
SMARTER EDUCATION TECHNOLOGY with Noelle Smart
TRADITIONAL CLASSROOM ONLINE LEARNING vs.
Teachers can monitor student engagement through body language, facial expressions, friend groups, seating charts and proximity.
Learning interactions occur naturally through classroom discussions, inclass gamification, and group activities
Immediate feedback is often provided during classroom work time
Classroom management relies heavily on physical presence, classroom routines, norms, and positive peer pressure
Students typically access the content at the same pace Minor occurances of catching students up for missing days due to travel or illness
Teachers must intentionally monitor engagement through digital interactions, participation analytics, discussions, and formative assessments
Teachers deliberately create opportunities for interaction through discussion boards, breakout rooms, collaborative documents, and multimedia activities.
Feedback may occur immediately during synchronous sessions or be delayed during asynchronous activities.
Engagement relies on clear expectations, consistent communication, cultivating belonging, and well-designed digital activities.
Students often have increased flexibility and opportunities for selfpaced learning.
(Edutopia, 2020).
SYNCHRONOUS LEARNING ASYNCHRONOUS LEARNING
vs. ADVANTAGES
Immediate interaction
Real-time feedback
Relationship-building
Increased social connection
Flexible pacing
Increased accessibility
Easier to differentiate
Opportunities for reflection
CHALLENGES
Scheduling conflicts
Technology access issues
Maintaining student
attention online
Students off-task
Reduced social interaction
Possible feelings of isolation
Increased need for student self-regulation.
ONLINE ENGAGEMENT STRATEGY #1
INTERACTIVE READ-ALOUDS AND DIGITAL STORYTELLING (K-3)
Teachers engage students through live or recorded interactive stories using multimedia, questioning, and student-created digital responses.
Why This Strategy?
Young learners thrive when instruction is visual, interactive, and highly scaffolded. Storytelling promotes literacy development, creativity, and social-emotional learning.
Support for Diverse Learners
Modifications/Accommodations: Audio supports, closed captions, visual cues, and readaloud features increase accessibility
ELLs: Visuals, gestures, and bilingual supports strengthen language acquisition.
Gifted Students: Students can extend learning by creating original stories or alternate endings. Early Finishers: Students can illustrate scenes, record retellings, or create additional story pages
Pros:
Highly engaging for young learners
Supports literacy and language development. Encourages creativity and communication.
Cons:
Requires significant teacher preparation. Younger students may need family support
Recommended Tools:
Book Creator – Students create multimedia books
Seesaw – Allows students to record responses using audio, video, and drawings
Epic! – Provides digital books with read-aloud options.
(Meyer et al, 2014)
ONLINE ENGAGEMENT STRATEGY #2
GAMIFIED LEARNING ACTIVITIES (GRADES 4-8)
Teachers incorporate game elements such as points, challenges, badges, and competition into instruction.
Why This Strategy?
Upper elementary and middle school students are highly motivated by immediate feedback, competition, and interactive learning experiences
Support for Diverse Learners
Modifications/Accommodations: Multiple question formats and accessibility settings support varied learning needs
ELLs: Visual supports, images, and audio options increase comprehension.
Gifted Students: Challenge modes and extension activities provide enrichment
Early Finishers: Additional levels or self-paced review activities keep students engaged
Pros:
Increases motivation and participation
Provides immediate formative assessment data.
Encourages active learning
Cons: Competition may discourage some students.
Overuse can reduce novelty and effectiveness
Recommended Tools
Wayground (formerly Quizizz) – Self-paced or live gamified assessments
Kahoot! – Live interactive quizzes.
Blooket – Game-based review activities.
ONLINE ENGAGEMENT STRATEGY #3
COLLABORATIVE LEARNING THROUGH SHARED DIGITAL SPACES (GRADES 4-12)
Students work together to solve problems, brainstorm ideas, and create products using collaborative online platforms or shared digital documents.
Why This Strategy?
Collaboration promotes communication, critical thinking, and deeper understanding while reducing feelings of isolation often associated with online learning.
Support for Diverse Learners
Modifications/Accommodations: Students can contribute through text, audio, images, or video.
ELLs: Collaboration promotes authentic language practice and peer support, Google Translate facilitates communication.
Gifted Students: Leadership opportunities and project roles increase the challenge. Early Finishers: Students can mentor peers or extend projects with advanced challenges
Pros:
Builds community and social presence
Encourages higher-order thinking. Supports peer learning.
Cons:
Requires clear expectations and monitoring.
Unequal participation can occur
Recommended Tools:
Padlet – Collaborative brainstorming and discussion boards Google Workspace (Docs, Slides)
ONLINE ENGAGEMENT STRATEGY #4
DISCUSSION-BASED LEARNING AND VIDEO REFLECTION (GRADES 9-12)
Students participate in asynchronous discussions, video reflections, and peer feedback activities.
Why This Strategy?
High school students benefit from opportunities to reflect, analyze, and communicate ideas independently while developing digital citizenship skills
Support for Diverse Learners
Modifications/Accommodations: Flexible response formats (written, audio, video) support accessibility
ELLs: Students can rehearse responses before posting and use translation tools.
Gifted Students: Open-ended prompts encourage deeper analysis
EarlyFinishers:Extensiondiscussionsandpeerfacilitationrolesprovideadditionalchallenge
Pros:
Encourages critical thinking and reflection
Increases student voice.
Allows flexible participation
Cons:
Students may participate minimally without clear expectations.
Teacher facilitation is essential
Recommended Tools
Google Classroom - Discussions and embedded questions for videos
Padlet - Whiteboards, discussion boards, interactive commenting.
Mentimeter - Free polling tool for live student interaction.
ONLINE ENGAGEMENT STRATEGY #5
CHOICE BOARDS AND PERSONALIZED LEARNING PATHWAYS (GRADES K-12)
Teachers provide students with multiple learning options and formats to respond and demonstrate understanding.
Why This Strategy?
Choice increases motivation, autonomy, and ownership of learning while supporting Universal Design for Learning (UDL) principles.
Support for Diverse Learners
Modifications/Accommodations: Students select formats aligned with their strengths and needs
ELLs: Choice allows students to demonstrate understanding in multiple ways.
Gifted Students: Advanced and enrichment options can be embedded.
Early Finishers: Extension tasks are readily available, ie, additional slides to complete
Pros:
Promotes student autonomy
Supports differentiation.
Increases engagement and motivation.
Cons:
Requires careful planning and organization.
Some students may need guidance when making choices
Recommended Tools:
Google Slides – Interactive digital choice boards
Canva for Education – To design visually engaging learning menus
Google Classroom – Custom assignments for specific students. (Meyer et al, 2014)
RECOMMENDATIONS FOR SUPPORTING DIVERSE LEARNERS IN ONLINE ENVIRONMENTS
Regardless of grade level, effective online instruction should include:
Multiple methods for demonstrating learning
Frequent formative assessment and feedback.
Clear routines and expectations
Visual supports and multimedia resources
Flexible pacing and scaffolding opportunities.
Regular and consistent teacher interactions and feedback
Teachers should also leverage assistive technology tools such as:
Read&Write for Google Chrome
Immersive Reader
Google Translate
Speech-to-Text tools
Closed Captioning features in Zoom and Google Meet
REFERENCES:
Borup, J., Graham, C. R., & Velasquez, A. (2020) The use of asynchronous video communication to improve instructor social presence: A systematic review Online Learning, 24(3), 6-30. https://scholarsarchive.byu.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi? article=9105&context=facpub
Edutopia. (2020, April 8). Keeping students engaged in digital learning. https://wwwyoutubecom/watch?v=-LybF2YlWn4
Martin, F., & Bolliger, D. U. (2018). Engagement matters: Student perceptions on the importance of engagement strategies in online learning Online Learning, 22(1), 205-222 https://filesericedgov/fulltext/EJ1179659pdf
Meyer, A., Rose, D. H., & Gordon, D. (2014) Universal design for learning: Theory and practice. CAST Professional Publishing. https://www.cast.org/
Wang, A. I., & Tahir, R. (2020) The effect of using Kahoot! for learning: A literature review. Computers & Education, 149, 103818. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0360131520300208
