Remote Learning Best Practices: 5 Tips for Online Teaching

Remote learning can feel like trying to juggle while riding a unicycle—possible, sure, but you’re constantly thinking, “Am I doing this the right way?” And honestly, a lot can go wrong fast: students drift off, directions get missed, and new tech can turn a simple lesson into a whole circus.

In my experience, the difference between “chaotic” and “actually works” usually comes down to a few practical habits you can repeat every week. So that’s what I’m sharing here—five remote learning best practices I’ve used (and refined) to keep online teaching clear, engaging, and less stressful for everyone.

We’ll cover everything from setting up your virtual classroom so it’s easy to navigate, to keeping students involved, to giving feedback that doesn’t take over your life. Let’s get into it.

1. Create an Effective Learning Environment

Let’s start with the basics: if students can’t find what they need, everything else falls apart. I’ve watched this happen in real time—someone misses the assignment link, then the whole week turns into “I didn’t know where to submit.”

So yes, having a distraction-free setup matters. But the bigger win is a predictable virtual classroom.

Here’s what I do:

• Make your navigation boring (in a good way). If your LMS has Modules, Discussions, and Assignments, keep those as your main buckets. Same names, same order every week.
• Use a weekly “home base” post. Every Monday (or Tuesday if Monday is rough), I post one announcement with: (1) what we’re doing this week, (2) what’s due, (3) where to find it. Three bullets. That’s it.
• Add visuals so students don’t feel lost. A simple header image for each module, plus short “What to do next” callouts, reduces confusion more than you’d think.

One small thing that made a noticeable difference for me: I started recording a welcome video that’s under 2 minutes and includes a quick “tour” of the course page. Not a fancy production—just me saying, “Click Modules for weekly work, click Assignments for due dates, and Discussions is where we talk.” Students actually referenced it later.

And if you’re using a course builder, I’d recommend setting it up so your welcome video, weekly update, and first assignment are all linked right from the start. That’s the kind of structure that saves students from guessing.

2. Engage Students Actively

Online teaching can’t be “I talk, you listen.” No one’s going to stay locked in for 45 minutes straight—especially if the lesson is only slides and silence.

In my experience, engagement works best when it’s built into the lesson rhythm. Think: small checks often, not one big activity at the end.

Try this during a live session (Zoom/Google Meet):

• Start with a 30-second prompt. Example: “Which of these examples best shows cause and effect? A, B, or C?”
• Midway, do a quick poll + follow-up question. Ask students to justify their choice in one sentence.
• Close with a micro-quiz. Two multiple-choice questions or a short scenario-based question.

About quizzes: I don’t use them to “catch” students. I use them to find the gaps early. If you’re looking for a practical workflow, you can use this how to create a quiz for students resource as a starting point—but here’s the part I care about most:

• Keep quiz length short. 5–8 questions is plenty for formative checks.
• Mix question types. Use multiple choice for quick checks and 1 short answer for deeper understanding.
• Decide what “success” means. For example: “If you score below 60%, you’ll review the mini-lesson and retake once.” That removes shame and increases learning.

Also, don’t underestimate how much variety helps. I still use videos—but I try to pair them with something students must do right after, like a 2-minute reflection or a “choose the best summary” prompt. Otherwise, the video becomes background noise.

3. Communicate Clearly and Provide Feedback

If you’ve ever graded an assignment and heard nothing back, you know how demotivating that feels. Students don’t just want a grade—they want to know what to do next.

I try to set expectations early: when will I respond, how will feedback look, and where should students ask questions? That way, students don’t feel like they’re bothering you.

Weekly updates that actually help

One approach that consistently works: send a weekly update with:

• 3 bullets summarizing what we covered
• 1 due-date reminder (and where to submit)
• 1 “quick win”—a tip for what to focus on in the next assignment

Do this in your LMS announcements (Canvas/Blackboard/Google Classroom, etc.) so it’s in the same place students already check.

My feedback template (short, specific, and fast)

Here’s a script I use for audio/video feedback because it’s faster than typing and it sounds more human. Aim for under 2 minutes per student for formative work.

• 1 sentence summary: “You’re doing well with ___, and you’re close on ___.”
• One strength: “Your example of ___ clearly shows ___.”
• One next step: “For your revision, try rewriting ___ so it includes ___.”
• Quick question (optional): “Want me to look at your revised paragraph before you resubmit?”

If you’re ever worried students are confused about goals or grading, this how to make a course syllabus guide can help you tighten your expectations so fewer questions come in the “What am I supposed to do?” category.

4. Use EdTech Tools Wisely

I get it—edtech is tempting. New tools promise “engagement,” “innovation,” and “instant results.” But here’s the honest truth: too many tools can slow you down and confuse students.

In my classroom (virtual or otherwise), I’ve found the best approach is this:

• Pick tools based on a specific job. For example, “I need a place for assignments” (LMS), “I need quick visuals” (Canva), “I need short video responses” (Loom).
• Start with your LMS and master it first. If students can’t reliably find Modules and submissions, no outside tool will save you.
• Add only what you’ll use weekly. If you won’t open it every week, students won’t either.

If you want a practical starting point for tools, you can check out this list of online learning platforms. But regardless of which platform you pick, keep the workflow consistent.

When I’ve streamlined successfully, the setup usually looks like:

• LMS for modules, grading, and announcements
• One visual tool for diagrams/slide polish (like Canva)
• One interaction tool for quick checks (like Kahoot/Quizlet)
• One community channel for questions (Slack/Discord or the LMS discussion board)

One more thing: respect student bandwidth. If you introduce a new tool every week, you’re not “innovating”—you’re adding stress.

5. Show Authenticity and Empathy

Trying to pretend you’re never stressed online is funny… and also not helpful. Students can tell. What they really need is a teacher who’s steady, supportive, and honest.

Here’s something I actually did: during the first week of a course, I admitted I had a tech hiccup during my own practice run. I didn’t make excuses—I just said, “It happened, here’s what I changed so it won’t happen again.” That small moment made students more comfortable asking questions later.

Empathy isn’t just a vibe. It shows up in the systems you create:

• Check in beyond grades. Once a week, I send a short message like: “How’s it going—what feels easiest, and what’s confusing?”
• Offer realistic office hours. Even 30 minutes twice a week can reduce panic for students who don’t want to ask in front of everyone.
• Use flexible due dates when appropriate. Not every assignment needs a hard deadline. I usually keep the learning goal the same, but allow a short extension for students who get delayed by real life.

Also, remember that online learning can feel isolating. If you can, build in little moments that make students feel seen—like calling on different students each session, or using names in announcements (“I noticed Maya’s revision—nice improvement”).

When you’re authentic and responsive, trust grows. And trust is what makes students stick around when the work gets harder.

6. Structure Content for Clarity

If you’ve ever clicked into an online course and thought, “Wait… where do I start?” then you already know why structure matters.

Students don’t have the same quick hallway access they’d have in person. So your course needs to guide them without making them hunt.

I structure lessons like this:

• Break content into small units. Think “Lesson 1: ___” and “Lesson 2: ___,” not giant blocks.
• Use clear labels. Every resource gets a real name. No “Week 3 file” nonsense.
• State objectives at the top. Example: “By the end of this lesson, you’ll be able to (1) identify ___, (2) explain ___, (3) apply ___.”
• End with a quick recap. 3–5 bullet summary + one “check your understanding” question.

Consistency is huge. If every module follows the same pattern, students stop wasting energy figuring out the interface and can focus on learning.

And yes—this reduces those annoying “Where’s my assignment?” emails. Not because students suddenly become organized, but because your course makes it obvious.

7. Encourage Collaboration and Community

Online learning can get lonely fast. If students only interact with content and never with each other, motivation drops.

So I build community on purpose with collaboration that’s actually manageable:

• Small group discussions. Give a prompt and a time limit (example: “Discuss with your group for 8 minutes, then share one idea”).
• Shared artifacts. Use a collaborative doc or board where groups add notes, examples, or answers.
• Rotating roles. One student is the summarizer, one is the question-asker, one is the presenter. Rotation prevents the “one person does everything” problem.

Tools like Google Docs and Padlet can make group work easier because students don’t have to learn a brand-new process just to collaborate.

Also, don’t skip casual connection. A quick “virtual coffee break” or a low-stakes chat at the end of class can recreate some of that informal classroom energy students miss.

8. Prioritize Accessibility and Inclusivity

Accessibility isn’t optional. If your materials aren’t usable for everyone, you’re unintentionally excluding students—even if you didn’t mean to.

Here’s a checklist I use before publishing anything:

• Caption videos. If the platform doesn’t auto-caption well, I verify the captions manually for accuracy.
• Add transcripts for audio/video. Especially for lectures and recorded instructions.
• Use multiple formats. If there’s a video, there should also be a text summary (or at least key points).
• Check readability. Use clear fonts, avoid super light gray text, and make sure contrast is strong enough to read on a phone.
• Write descriptive alt text. “Chart showing ___” beats “image1.”
• Don’t rely on color alone. If you use red/green to show meaning, add labels or patterns too.
• Plan for tech disruptions. If your class is synchronous, record sessions and share them promptly.

If you’re using an LMS, do a quick test yourself: can you navigate with a keyboard? Can you read everything without images? Can a student still follow the lesson if they can’t watch a video?

Last point: ask students what they need. Accommodations work best when they’re documented and discussed, not improvised mid-semester.

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