9 Tips to Stay Focused During Online Lessons

Knowledge is power. Information is liberating. Education is the premise of progress, in every society, in every family. – Kofi Annan

During the Second World War, researcher Norman Mackworth created an experiment to test the vigilance of radar operators. The test, known as the Mackworth Clock, became a common test of vigilance and concentration over long periods. Vigilance decreases after 30 minutes with errors increasing by 10 to 15%. Of course, concentration varies between people. Like a muscle, you can train your concentration to become more productive by avoiding certain bad habits.

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Why is online tuition gaining more popularity in Malaysia?

Before the pandemic set in, online tuition has already been seen as a great alternative for learning in the field of digital education in Malaysia. Nowadays, it is seen as one of the most used educational methods for students and teachers to connect with one another. If you are considering online tutoring but are still hesitating and unsure how to proceed,   here are some tips and the benefits of online tuition that help you to shift your perspective. a) Capable of addressing different learning needs of students When it comes to online tuition, students can either choose to join a one to one private tutoring session or small online group tuition. This means that students can receive undivided attention from their tutors and have more time to engage in more question and answering sessions during their lessons. They can also leave their questions in a chat box during the lessons so that their online tutor can look at them later without breaking the flow of the whole lesson every time. For online tuition, it is more convenient for students to have a more impactful session because they can let their tutor know what they want to learn more during their lessons. For instance, one student might want to improve their language writing skills in Malay. They can then request their tutor to focus more on writing exercises during their Malay online class.

b) Provides additional learning resources for students apart from regular school lessons When students are accustomed to a large classroom setting and the rushing of the syllabus during their usual classes, they may feel left out or unsatisfied when they are listening to the teacher in school. As a result, they might face difficulties when they need to complete their homework or assignment after schooling hours. In the long run, this might lead them to feel demotivated to master the subject. Another scenario that might occur is the overdependence of students on one major method of learning resources or exercises provided during regular lessons. As mentioned in the first point, different students might have different learning needs and also different studying methods. Some of the students may be audiovisual learners where they understand a concept better through videos and animations. In cases like this, online tuition will come in handy because students can record the tuition session and pause, replay and review them anytime and anywhere they want. c) Parents are more at ease with flexible time and location If you are a parent, you may feel that it is more convenient for you to arrange your child's learning schedule after schooling hours. If you are a working parent, this is a good way of saving time on transportation and worrying about being late to fetch your children from their tuition classes. Even if you are working from home, you can easily monitor the progress of your child and help them to prepare their learning equipment in advance before the lessons start. Most online tutors are okay if you schedule the online classes if you let them know in advance should you need to make any changes. This will allow you to spend more time with your children and also gives you the chance to sit in with your children during a class or two to monitor their progress too. d) A variety of experienced and diverse subject tutors to choose from  When you are not sure how to select an online tutor, you can always depend on Superprof to lead you to the most suitable tutors for you based on your requirements. Supeprof is a platform that effectively connects students with tutors from all parts of Malaysia and the world for free! Here are some guidelines/ checkpoints that you can refer to when you are using Superprof. 

• Head to the Superprof Malaysia homepage.
• Select the subject that you want to learn and location (physical location/online) and click the Find A Tutor.
• Refine your search by filtering your maximum budget and level of your study.
• Browse through the listed tutors and choose one tutor to begin.
• Read the tutor's self-introduction, teaching experience, reviews and recommendations from their students.
• Do the same for other tutors and get a comprehensive comparison based on your preferences.
• After deciding on which tutor to learn from, connect with them through their profiles.
• Begin your first lesson with them after confirming the class duration/frequency and payment details.

Can I learn/ teach languages through online classes in Malaysia?

Languages such as Mandarin, Malay and English are some of the most taught subjects online in Malaysia these days. It is especially convenient and effective for many language learners who have zero knowledge in a particular subject as they can learn the language at their own pace. Even language teachers and tutors are shifting some of their physical classes online because of higher demand. So, the answer is yes! You can learn and teach language successfully through online tuition. Here are some advantages of conducting language teaching and learning via an online platform. a) It guarantees a personalised learning experience for the student Regardless of the level of the student (zero, basic, intermediate or advanced), the student can easily make the best out of their online language learning sessions. This is because the structure and time limit for online lessons are more flexible. b) Tutors can provide different modes of online learning to be chosen from for students  Different students may want to learn a language through different modes of online learning, Some prefer direct interaction and straightforward conversations during live online classes. Some students prefer to take self-study language online courses where they can pause and resume the lessons whenever they want without worrying about a time frame limit. If you are a language tutor who is in the midst of planning your English online classes or Malay online classes, this is something that you can take into account. Having a broad understanding of what your targeted audience needs will lead you to many tutoring opportunities. This will give you a better idea of how to prepare your lesson materials and which platform to conduct your lessons/ upload your teachings.

c) Tutors can try out different teaching methods during the lessons  For language learning online tuition, tutors can include some short clips from famous movies or shows when they are teaching about pronunciation or colloquial expression to sound more natural. Furthermore, tutors and students can also try out role plays to practice different vocabularies, sentence styles and the right expression for various settings. Online teaching and learning can be super interesting! During online tutorials, when the students and tutor aren't physically in the same room, it can be difficult to fully focus on the teaching. For your tutorials to work, both parties need to be focused on the course and work together to make sure that the digital tools are used effectively. With that in mind, here are our tips for staying focused during online classes.

Tip #1 -  Right Environment for Online Lessons: Neat Workspace

With the pandemic, a lot of students have seen their classes move online. With the right preparation and setting, online tutoring can still be conducted effectively during the pandemic. Staying focused throughout an entire class isn’t easy, even at home. The first thing to do is to make sure your surroundings are study-friendly and conducive. Start by getting out of bed! Staying in bed is a tempting idea but it won’t do anything to help your concentration. It’s more likely to make you want to sleep. Furthermore, it’s not good for your posture and can lead to back and neck pain. It’s best to have a dedicated workspace where you can learn, study, and revise for exams. Working at a  proper study desk with your back straight and your feet on the floor is a great way to ensure that you are concentrating during the lessons.

Tip #2 - Staying Focus During Lessons: Get Rid of Distractions

Distractions are concentration’s worst enemy! We’re not very good at multitasking and if you’re scrolling through your social media feeds, watching a show, or listening to music at the same time, you’ll not be fully focused on your lesson.

It’s a good idea to put your phone into aeroplane mode or at least disable notifications. As for your computer, close every tabs or windows that you won’t be using so that you won’t be tempted to look at them. Find a calm and quiet place away from the television or other family members as this will allow you to focus on your lesson and avoid interruptions.

One way to boost our will power and focus is to manage our distractions instead of letting them manage us. – Daniel Goleman

Tip #3 - Effective Online Classes At Home: Maintain a Routine

If you wake up one day at 8, another at 10, and the following day at 11, you’ll struggle to focus. You’ll feel like you’re on holiday rather than attending lessons at school. Maintaining a routine and fixed schedule is a good way to ensure that you’re alert. It is also a fundamental element to have a healthy and well balanced mental health, especially during times of staying long term at home at present.  Get up and get ready as if you were going to school or university. Get showered and dressed and have breakfast like it was any normal day. Just because you’re not going to school, that doesn’t mean that you should change your routine.Check out the best places to find online tutoring.

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Tip #4 - Take Regular Breaks, Even During Your Lessons

As we’ve mentioned, you’re at your most alert in 20-to-30-minute periods. The Pomodoro Technique, for example, is based on this idea. We recommend at least taking a break for between 30 seconds and a minute after every half an hour. Get up out of your chair, stretch your body, yawn, etc. Drink some water, get some fresh air, walk around for a bit. Sit back down and refocus on your lessons. You'll noticed that you can focus better.

After an hour or two (depending on the length of your lessons), try to take a break of at least 10 to 15 minutes away from the screen. This should help you to maintain a good level of focus and let your eyes rest for a bit.

Tip #5 - Participate as Much as Possible During the Lessons

If you want to concentrate, get involved! Participation means that you have to focus on what your teacher is saying. Of course, not every class will allow you to participate as much as you want, but interact with the teacher and the other students whenever you can as it’ll make the lesson more engaging, too. The interaction will ensure that you’re concentrating. If possible, open your camera during the lessons so that your teacher can see you. This would also help you to have a sense of accountability to react to what your teacher is saying from the other side of the screen. You might be tempted to play with your phone or do other things when you off your camera or mute yourself for too long.

Learning is more effective when it is active rather than a passive process. -Kurt Lewin

Don’t hesitate to ask questions as it’s harder for the teacher to see who’s struggling and who gets it when all their students are behind a webcam. Take charge of your learning even when you are not attending physical classes in your school! Find out how online tutoring can help children.

Tip #6 -  Online Lessons Engagement: Stay in Touch with Your Teachers and Classmates

Outside of your lessons, make sure that you’re keeping in touch with your classmates and teachers to stay on top of your work. You could create a Facebook group or Discord server to talk about how you feel about the lessons and what are the things that can be improved for the future lessons. Send an email to your teacher if you need help or extra information. Don't think of your online lessons as a totally different learning activity like your usual physical classes.

Tip #7 - Self Management Hack: Keep Your Brain Alert By Optimum Eating and Drinking

The brain consumes around a quarter of our body’s energy. Starting your lessons on an empty stomach will hurt your comprehension. A good breakfast will give you the energy you need for your morning lessons and ensure you can concentrate. Dedicate between 10 and 20 minutes in the morning to breakfast and enjoy some cereal, fresh fruit, eggs, cheese and dairy products, or nuts. Make sure that you’re regularly drinking water throughout the day. Water is the best way to hydrate and make sure that your brain is working at its full potential. If you get peckish mid-morning, have some nuts or cereal. Avoid certain cereal bars as many of them aren’t that good for you.

Tip #8 - Online Classes Concentration Key: Don't Just Sit At One Place, Move Around

Young students find it hard enough to sit still in a chair all day and doing so in front of a screen is even tougher. Moving around is good for your health and movement can also help you to concentrate, which you need to do more than ever during online tutorials especially when they can go on for hours. Keep in mind that even if you can’t physically move around every 15 minutes, consider moving around in your mind. For example, to remember a new concept, visualise a scenario in your head. This is a good technique for remembering events in history class, for example. You can also draw as you listen. You don’t need to create a masterpiece. Drawing notes or sketching is a good way to be more active in your notetaking. Think about changing your position. Why not install a standing desk? Not only is sitting long term bad for concentration, but it’s also bad for your health. You can walk around as you study. Movement is good for concentration no matter what kind of work you’re doing.

Tip #9 - Be Refreshed For Your Lessons: Sleep, Sleep, Sleep (Before And After Your Lessons Of Course!)

Sleep is incredibly important for remaining focused and restful sleep is conducive to good concentration. A bad night’s sleep can make it hard to focus the following day as you’ll spend the day yawning and struggle to listen to your teacher.

Just like our body, our brain needs to recover. It has spent the whole day working, sorting, remembering, creating memories, and at the end, it needs to rest. A routine will help you to sleep better. Apps like f.lux are useful for helping you to sleep better, especially if you’re using your computer late at night. Ideally, don’t use any devices with screens within half an hour to an hour of going to bed. Read a book or study handwritten notes rather than looking at a screen. While it can be tempting to watch a YouTube tutorial before bed (especially educational ones as you can convince yourself that you're learning), it's better to avoid any devices right before bed. Turn off your social media notifications on your phone. Ideally, keep your phone as far away from you as possible when you go to sleep. It’s not easy, but you can do it!

“Sleep is an investment in the energy you need to be effective tomorrow.” – Tom Roth

What kind of online lessons are available and which one is suitable for me?

If you're looking for tutoring of any type of subject, check out the thousands of private tutors on Superprof. There are tutors for all levels and fields of study from all around Malaysia and the world. There are three main types of tutoring available and each has its pros and cons, especially during the pandemic. Face-to-face tutorials were often the preferred tutorial as even though they're often the most expensive, they're also the most cost-effective. In a one-on-one tutorial, the tutor can adapt their teaching approach and pedagogy to the student that they're tutoring. The extra work they put into planning the lessons is reflected in the rates. Sadly, with the restrictions in place regularly changing, it's quite difficult to know how long before you'll have to cancel any regular face-to-face tutorials. Group tutorials are in a similar situation to face-to-face tutorials during the pandemic. While they are great for those on a budget, regularly gathering in groups isn't advised during the pandemic and a lot of tutors have stopped offering group tutorials or took them online. Having said that, when you can get them, they're often the cheapest type of tutoring as the cost is shared amongst all the students in attendance. As we've mentioned, online tutorials are incredibly useful during the pandemic. As tutors don't need to travel and can schedule more tutorials each week, they tend to charge less than face-to-face tutorials. Furthermore, as they take place remotely, they're completely COVID-safe and risk-free. Many of the tutors on Superprof offer the first lesson for free so try a few out and see which one is right for you and your budget. Just think of your online tuition/ lessons as a complementary way of learning that can benefit you in the long run.

“Online learning is rapidly becoming one of the most cost-effective ways to educate the world’s rapidly expanding workforce.” - Jack Messman