The virtual learning environment is a heavily auditory environment. The primary means of communication is through audio which is supported by visuals. The least successful format for transfer and comprehension of information is in an auditory manner.

Therefore, here are some tips that can be utilized in order to have a more successful auditory environment when teaching an online class.

Tip #1: Say Less

It takes people longer to process information auditorily. Therefore you want to give them less words to process. You can either say “I’d like for you to take out your workbooks and turn to page 52 in order for us to review the chart;” or you can say “Turn to page 52 in your workbook.” In the online environment, the latter is preferable.

Tip #2: Be Direct in Your Language

In alignment with the suggested dialogue in the first example, take out all the superfluous words from your vocabulary. Be very purposeful in your word choice and very direct in the way that you speak. For example: Please respond to the poll you see on the right of your screen vs, in a moment you’ll see a poll appear on the screen. It contains 5 choices. Choose the on that you think best answers the question posted.

Tip #3: Repeat Instructions more than Once

When you are about to engage in any kind of interaction, give the instructions at the start of the interaction and again at the end. This alerts the people who are paying attention at the start and those who were lagging and need the instructions in order to go forth and execute the activity. For example: In a minute you’ll go to a breakout room and discuss these three questions with your teammates, I’d like one person to take notes and another person to report back to the larger group when your breakouts are done. Keep in mind you have three questions to answer (repeat of the instructions) in those 15 minutes, so pay attention so that you have sufficient time to discuss each one.

Tip #4: Say the Exact Same Thing the Exact Same Way

Because this is a medium in which people have a hard time quickly grasping what you are communicating, you don’t want to further confuse them by changing the message. Simply say it again. Poor example: (1st time) Please respond to the poll you see on the right side of your screen; (2nd time) On the right side of your screen you’ll see a poll that has three questions, please choose only one. Instead, simply repeat version one as many times as necessary for the learners to grasp what you are asking them to do.4

When you watch what you say, you can assist your learners in being more accurate in the work that they do in the virtual learning environment.