How to use virtual tables to boost online student engagement

Free downloadable guide to collaborative virtual learning in higher education

Group work is essential for active learning, but it’s notoriously difficult to manage online. Most video conferencing tools treat everyone the same: putting 100 students into one digital “room” and hoping they participate.

This handout introduces a new approach: Engageli’s patented virtual tables, designed specifically for active online learning. These tables bring the structure, flexibility, and peer-to-peer collaboration of an in-person classroom into any virtual setting.

Whether you’re teaching a 20-person seminar or a 300-person lecture, Engageli’s tables help you organize discussion, monitor group activity, and support every student more effectively.

Tables

In this free guide, you’ll learn:

  • A breakdown of how Engageli's table mode and room mode support different teaching goals
  • Specific examples of evidence-based teaching strategies (Think-Pair-Share, Jigsaw, Team-Based Learning) adapted for virtual tables
  • How to use table-level tools like timers, polls, whiteboards, and engagement indicators to drive participation
  • Practical ideas for running parallel activities, assigning TAs to tables, and gathering real-time formative feedback
  • Ways to personalize learning at scale, even in large, multi-section courses

Why it matters:

In large online classes, students often go unseen and unheard. Engageli’s table-based design solves that by creating micro-communities where students feel more comfortable participating, asking questions, and helping each other succeed.

Tables make it easier to:

  • Facilitate structured collaboration

  • Support diverse learning paths

  • Intervene in real time based on engagement data

  • Create a more inclusive and equitable classroom experience

 

Get the guide

If you’re struggling to get authentic engagement in online or hybrid classes, this handout offers new ideas to structure connection and conversation, no matter the size of your class.

 

Want to experience tables for yourself? Schedule a demo of our virtual classroom.