You are correct that active participation of students is a key factor in effective learning. In a zoom classroom, many students will sit there like a bump on a log, just like in a face to face classroom. You have to draw them out of their shells. One way that I have found effective is the use of discussion boards. This mode requires the student to answer the question posed, but they also have to reply to the answer of one or more fellow students to receive their points.
Achieving active participation and engagement of students, whether in modern or old, traditional, blended or even pure electronic education models, is a difficult issue for teachers. From my personal experience as a university teacher, and I have also worked in schools previously, I tell you that attracting students' attention and arousing their enthusiasm for active participation in all models requires a great effort and dedication from the teacher in the first place. This topic need to be explained further. But let me give you some simple advice. You have to be in constant contact with students, for example, through WhatsApp, and respond to their inquiries quickly. You have to offer activities that appeal to them and meet their interests and preferences. Educational competitions are a good thing. It is important that students reward for their activities. Good luck.
In this regard, instructors ought to run surveys on students' perspectives on any models. Kids can be very intelligent sometimes and they really can feel the difference and difficulty though most of us never try to communicate with them. Best way to ensure maximum engagement is to prepare lessons according to their ages and interests. Any model could work with students if it can be made fun. Children love fun stuff and the stuff that can make them curious.
Learning is optimal when the learner is actively involved in the process. S/he is allowed to initiate, create, explore, construct and discover new knowledge. Such knowledge constructed by the individual would be longlasting and permanent as emphasised by Vigotsky's constructivist theory of learning. Although, e-learning dimension of active participation may be in restricted form, use of virtual medium by individualised exploration of learning materials could augment the actual setting.
I think a combination of the two will be effective as e-learning brings a fresh air of learning and other positive things in these Covid 19 times. That's not to say before Covid there was no e-learning.
I think that this is due a phenomenon in instruction called pedagogy, when knowledge transffered from its original context in which generated for the first time,( scientific, social, economic,…) to classroom, it lose its consistancy and vitality, this make student lazy and incarious, especially in those subject that cannot be easily recreated, as history, philosophy,… to make students active again, it is important to reactivate the subject too.
It has been a challenge last year to engage the students on the e-learning platforms. I personally found that "brain teasers" are great warm up strategy that will add spice to the group dynamic as well.
Online teaching and learning has been a challenging experience this past year for both instructors and students. For many students, this is a completely new method of education without the familiar classroom interaction. I agree, engaging students in active participation has been quite challenging. I think a blended approach will be more acceptable for many students.