When schools across the country rapidly shifted to remote learning, educators were concerned about how they would keep students engaged outside a classroom setting.

According to a recent report released by the Association of American Educators, 56 percent of 1,030 educators surveyed said that inadequate student participation and attendance, plus students’ lack of technology or parental support, were major obstacles to remote learning.

But there isn’t a single solution for boosting student engagement, write Kerry Rice, a professor in the educational technology department at Boise State University, and Kristin Kipp, chair of education media design and technology at Rocky Mountain College of Art + Design, for EdSurge: “Online teachers need to combine multiple strategies to reach learners, such as strengthening relationships with learners, engaging families and helping learners connect with their peers.”

Using technology in innovative ways can make that possible. For example, Woodstock Community Unit School District 200 in Illinois knew that maintaining contact with their 6,300 students “never was a given,” even though they were able to deploy Chromebooks for them during remote learning, the Northwest Herald reports.

Beyond contacting students and their families, teachers encouraged student attendance by providing engaging online lessons. “When a teacher is doing something innovative, either in school or at home through technology, word spreads, and kids want to be a part of it,” Woodstock High School Principal Art Vallicelli says.

Educators can also maintain that student engagement — and even supplement traditional classrooms once schools reopen — by creating immersive learning experiences for students online.