Optimising Your Onboarding: How to Make the Most of New Teaching Tools

In the fast-paced world of education, time is a valuable asset. Each day brings a new challenge, a new task, and a new opportunity to enhance the learning experience for learners. In this environment, instructors are often faced with a crucial question: "How much time should I dedicate to mastering a new software tool?"

The answer to this question lies in a careful evaluation of your teaching objectives, the potential impact of the software on your instructional efficiency, and the unique features that the software offers.

As a Partner Success Manager at Engageli, I work with instructors in many different industries across the EMEA region, from corporate learning and development to higher education. I’ve found that everyone has a different attitude and approach to learning how to use a new tool.

Tips for Mastering New Online Teaching Tools

Here are some steps from what I have learned to help you in this process:

Step 1: Identify Your Teaching Goals and Objectives

The first step in determining the time commitment for onboarding a new tool is to clearly identify your teaching objectives. What are you hoping to achieve? Are you looking to increase learner engagement, improve collaboration, or provide more personalised feedback? Understanding your goals will help you prioritise features to explore and master.

Step 2: Evaluate the Potential Impact of Incorporating New Teaching Software

Next, consider the potential impact of the software on your teaching practice. Will it streamline lesson planning, make grading more efficient, or enhance learner interaction? Software tools like Engageli are designed to support collaborative and active learning in virtual, hybrid, and in-person environments. The potential to transform your teaching and elevate the learning experience will be worth the investment of time, as you will see the impact on your learners and their outcomes.

Step 3: Explore the Features and How They Improve Learner Outcomes

Finally, take some time to explore the unique features of the software. For instance, Engageli offers an always-on, secure virtual platform that recreates high-quality, small group collaborative experiences, even in a large-scale environment. It is specifically designed to provide instructors and learners with the tools and features they require for effective, active learning and teaching, and the engaging digital experience they deserve developed specifically for their needs. Understanding these features will help you plan your onboarding process. For example, you may find it is more intuitive and natural than you expect, so the learning curve might be surprisingly quick! Or, the potential impact is so great that you feel happy to dedicate more time to mastering the feature.

Getting Started With Implementing New Teaching Technology

At the end of the day, the amount of time you decide to dedicate to mastering a new software tool should be a reflection of your teaching objectives, the potential impact on your practice, and the unique offerings of the software. Remember, every minute invested in improving your teaching practice is a minute well spent, contributing to a more effective and engaging experience for your learners. We offer a self-paced course with bite-sized modules focused on the features to master for the biggest impact.

While I understand the time pressures you face, I believe that adopting and mastering new tools can create engaging remote learning experiences and significantly enhance your teaching. I hope this guide helps you make an informed decision about how to optimise your onboarding process, making the most of the time you have to dedicate to new teaching tools. If you’re feeling overwhelmed, I recommend taking some smaller steps at first, and see how things feel. Find people in your professional networks who are already expert with the product, and ask for their advice or help. You may find that progress comes quicker than you imagine!

Remember, the world of education is always evolving, and with it, the tools we use to facilitate learning. Keeping abreast of these changes and being willing to adapt is what keeps us effective and relevant in our teaching practices.