It can be difficult for students to focus when learning online, especially if it’s their first time. However, as online teaching is becoming a growing trend, there are several focus strategies you can try to help your students. This article will look at the top 7 best focus strategies for students learning online.

1. Free The Class From Distractions

The first focus strategy is to create a distraction-free environment in the class. Make sure there are no distractions in the background during voice calls, and if possible, close the windows and doors to avoid any external noise.

Pro tip: With LiveBoard you can ensure your students are not distracted during the class with the Student’s Attention Tracker feature. You will see a yellow circle around a student’s profile picture whenever they are distracted on another tab. Once you are notified you can bring their attention back to the class.

2. Give The Students Their Own Quiet Time

Another focus strategy is to give students their own quiet time. This means you will let them have time to work on their assignments alone, so they can only focus on their work. This focusing strategy benefits students who are easily distracted by their surroundings. This way, your students will be comfortable while focusing on their tasks.

Pro tip: As LiveBoard has an infinite canvas, your students can work on their tasks in separate parts of the board at the same time, while you track their progress. Just make sure you’re sharing drawing access to the board with your students.

3. Don’t Burden Your Students

Too much work can lead to students feeling overwhelmed and stressed, which  in turn makes it harder for them to focus. Refrain from burdening your students with too much work. Instead, focus on quality over quantity. It’s also essential that you give your students enough time to complete their tasks.

4. Give One Assignment at a Time

Although multitasking is often lauded as a skill, it can make it harder for students to focus. When students are focused on several things at once, their focus is dispersed, and there will be fewer takeaways from each task. Instead of giving your students multiple assignments simultaneously, focus on giving them one assignment at a time. This way, they can devote their full attention to the task and avoid feeling overwhelmed.

Pro tip: You can record your classes with LiveBoard, export the video file to your device, or save it to the cloud. You can then share it with your students to help them revise the lesson later. Additionally, you can export the board in PDF and JPEG formats and let your students keep them as notes.

5. Take Short Breaks

It’s also essential to take short breaks between tasks. This will help your students stay focused and prevent burnout. You can also use this time to give your students some feedback on their work. Short breaks will also help them return to the task with fresh energy.

Pro tip: With LiveBoard you can create quizzes and instruct your students to take them right after the breaks. This way you can assess how well they have understood and memorized the topic, identify any misconceptions or hard-to-understand concepts, and discuss them in more depth. The quiz maker tool allows you to create questions with multiple- and single-choice answers, set a time limit, and track the answers during the quiz.

6. Make Your Lessons Goal-Oriented

Make your lessons goal-oriented. This strategy means changing your students’ attitudes toward the class and the subject. If they see the lesson’s purpose and believe it can help them in the future, they will be more likely to focus. It is also equally important to design your lesson with a specific goal in mind and ensure all the activities lead to that goal. This will help your students stay focused on the task at hand and help them better understand the lesson’s purpose.

Pro tip: LiveBoard allows you to manage your boards with groups and folders. This will help you to stay organized for all your classes and easily share the content with specific group of students. It will also be easier for you to find a board when you need it.

7. Help Your Students Develop Self-Discipline

Last but not least, you can also help your students develop self-discipline. This focused strategy is more long-term, but it’s definitely worth the effort. You can start by teaching them to set goals and stick to them. You can also teach them time management and task prioritization. These skills will help them not only in school but also in their future careers.

Final Thoughts

These are just some of the focus strategies for students you can use to help them stay on track. Of course, there is no one-size-fits-all solution, and you must find the best strategy for your students. But if you’re looking for a place to start, you can’t beat these seven strategies.