Online education programs are increasing across the nation. There are many ways that online programs can help students stay focused and learn in ways they haven't ever before.

So says Rony Zarom, technology expert, who offers teachers four ways they can engage digitally distracted students in the classroom in an article on EdSurge.com.

"The demand for digital learning offerings presents new challenges for educators and administrators," Zarom wrote. "One of the biggest is keeping students engaged. In one survey, 74 percent of students reported that the Internet distraction was 'significant' and 'worrying.' Educators have an opportunity to structure online learning environments in a way that addresses how students already interact online, and in a way that also reduces distraction and increases engagement."

One of the ways teachers can get their students on board with digital learning is to "personalize options to keep learning flexible."

By understanding students’ learning styles and performance indicators, educators can create different assignments to drive more student activity, engagement and participation. Some ways educators can incorporate personalized learning elements into the online classroom:

• Give students the flexibility to work in breakout groups for some projects and independently on others. This helps students analyze their own strengths and weakness pertaining to an assignment, as they are tasked with deciding when to engage peers to support a project or when they can handle the work themselves.
• Keep it engaging with virtual gaming, peer-to-peer learning groups and speakers. Diversifying the content delivery allows students to engage with learning beyond simply watching a video.
• Provide students with the option to create a flex-class schedule and students untethered access to the classroom at any time. This gives late risers and early birds alike a way to participate when they’re most rested and alert. [Research from the University of Michigan found that the amount of sleep a college student gets is one of the strongest predictors of academic success.]

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Article by Kassondra Granata, Education World Contributor