Online learning attracts a diverse learner population as it can often be more accessible in terms of time and location. However, due to the geographic distance it can feel very isolating. So, it’s extremely important to create community in an online environment and to facilitate learner engagement to combat feelings of being alone in the distance environment. Focusing on the creation of a learning community also recognizes the importance of each learners' unique contributions to the space and highlights the diverse experiences and perspectives of each learner.
Tips and Suggestions
Create informal social spaces for learners to connect. Also, encourage learners to design and/or utilize informal spaces for connection. You might have a discussion thread for off topic discussion, or a discussion solely created for learner interactions without instructor access. Identifying spaces solely for learner engagement recognizes the power balance and positionality between learners and instructors.
Integrate multiple ways for learners to engage with one another throughout the duration of the course. Allow access for learner-to-learner messaging and create groups within the LMS for learners that may be collaborating on an activity or have a common experience. Multiple learner engagement opportunities and experiences may diminish power distance between learners due to age, gender, ability etc.
Design collaborative learning opportunities with a focus on social knowledge construction. Highlighting social knowledge construction recognizes the need for diverse learner perspectives and the importance of all contributions. This can be achieved through the use of discussion boards, group work, peer review, presentations, shared projects, and student facilitated activities.
Resources
Student Interaction Online | Teaching and Learning Resource Center (osu.edu)
What College Students Wish Professors Knew About Inclusive Online Teaching | EdSurge News
Fostering Student-to-Student Connections (illinois.edu)
What is ‘Swift Trust,’ and Why Do I Want it in My Classes? | Faculty Focus
In the online learning environment content needs to be effectively delivered because the modality makes it more difficult to gain clarity or correction in a timely manner.
If content isn’t accessible or is confusing, particularly for the distance learning population which is comprised of diverse learners with varied experiences and backgrounds, it becomes more difficult for the learners to be successful as frustration may set in.
Tips and Suggestions
Creating accessible recordings of any synchronous content supports equitable access for a diverse learner population that may not be available to participate at a particular time for a variety of reasons, including access issues and other overlapping commitments. It also creates a resource for learners to revisit at a later time for review or to clarify confusing or difficult content.
Always request permission to record synchronous sessions and be cognizant of when to stop recording (breakout rooms).
Utilize content that represents diverse contributors and perspectives.
Integrate content that is delivered in a variety of modalities (video, written, visual etc.). Allow and create opportunities for learners to respond to or engage with the content in multi-modal ways. This diverse interaction is beneficial for differing abilities. For example, have students create a visual image as a way to reflect on material, or have them participate in an asynchronous discussion by recording an informal video.
Utilize reflection activities in multimodal ways. Learners may have a written reflection journal or they might create video or audio reflections. They might choose to engage in reflection via poetry, drawing, photography, a concept map, or capturing thought from a conversation.
Incorporate tools that are intuitive and beneficial to the learning objectives. Remember technology alone cannot replace good pedagogy/andragogy.
Resources
Interactions and Online Learning - YouTube
Interaction | Structured Student Interactions in Online Distance Learning (merelearning.ca)
Learner satisfaction in online courses is closely connected to their relationship with the course instructor. Feeling connected to the instructor can help to combat feelings of isolation for the diverse online learning population. Also, interactions between learners and instructors create opportunities to address positionality.
Tips and Suggestions
Communicate with learners early, often, and in a variety of ways. This can initially be achieved by having all learners introduce themselves (to you and/or the class) and then individually responding to each learner. Within these early interactions an instructor has the opportunity to address any accommodations necessary for a learner's success.
Introduce yourself to learners by sharing who you are as an instructor, how they can address you, and a little about you as an individual. Consider including a picture of yourself or creating a welcome video. This may create an opportunity for a diverse learner to connect with various aspects of an instructor (gender, race, ethnicity, ability...)
Check in with learners to understand what concerns they may have about the class. This includes discussing how to support them in being successful in the course and to improve their learning. For example, learners might be required to send a message at the beginning of the course identifying what may hinder their success in the course. Then have learners again message the instructor at the midpoint of the course to identify what has gone well, items they can modify to ensure their continued success or course correct, and suggest what the instructor might modify for an improved learning experience.
Provide constructive feedback for learners that highlights their strengths as well as opportunities for improvement. Assuming learners know how to correct something without clear suggestions can further isolate and cause frustration for online learners. This might be achieved by creating a video with the feedback information to alleviate miscommunication and potentially may better support a learner accommodation.
Feedback should be completed early and often in the online environment.
Resources
What College Students Wish Professors Knew About Inclusive Online Teaching | EdSurge News
elearn Magazine: A Messaging Framework for Online Educators (acm.org)
Interactions and Online Learning - YouTube
Interaction | Structured Student Interactions in Online Distance Learning (merelearning.ca)
Online learning can feel isolating so it is important for the instructor to be present in the course and in the learning. This presence ensures the instructor is relatable so the learners can connect with them as a resource and as someone they can reach out to if they are experiencing challenges. Instructor presence also helps to establish course norms and expectations that guide appropriate course behaviors and interactions.
Tips and Suggestions
You should be present and promptly address any concerns that arise (e.g. inappropriate language, comments, microaggressions). Often these issues may be solved by discussing the concern with a learner and potentially deleting inappropriate posts.
Do not dominate discussions or activities, but allow learner-to-learner engagement. Do not respond to every post. Allow learners to respond to each other. Significant instructor posting can lead to diminished learner-to-learner interaction and can cease interactions when the instructor is seen as the final authority. Participate to redirect, introduce a subject, and to wrap up an activity or discussion.
Establish a presence through frequent class check-ins, such as weekly announcements or introductions to each new module or topic. Consider posting these via video (closed captioned with a written transcript).
In all communication with students, encourage them to ask questions and reach out to you with any concerns.
Share ideas, life experiences, critical reflections and personal perspectives as they connect to class topics. Encourage learners to do the same.
Resources
Creating a learning community to support all learners in successfully navigating online learning and diminish the isolation that can occur online is very important to a learners success and satisfaction. The creation of community is necessary in an online learning space to support co-learning.
Tips and Suggestions
Facilitate the introduction of all learners. Encourage them to introduce themselves with person first or identity first introductions. One way to do this is to have everyone share the story of their name (first name, last name, nickname, etc.). This allows people to get to know each other’s names and also a little about their background and history.
Introductions can be achieved through video, poems, written narrative, visualizations, etc.
Require “real” engagement between learners. Make it clear that the experiences of all the learners in the class are beneficial and offer learning opportunities. Create participation expectations that lead to real engagement and valuing of peers rather than perfunctory engagement in discussions and activities. For example, identifying a specific number of required posts in a discussion often lends itself to perfunctory participation.
In asynchronous online classes, include videos of yourself and encourage learners to do so as well. Videos of this nature should be created for each current class, rather than recycling videos from past classes. These videos allow the distance created through online learning to be overcome a bit and for learners to see the instructor and fellow learners as real people. If learners are not comfortable sharing their face on a recorded video, use technology that allows audio sharing with an associated image.
Have learners share how they are feeling about a particular topic through a meme, a song, or a movie quote.
Create opportunities for learners to support and learn from each other. Have learners facilitate the learning for an identified topic.
Integrate or encourage buddies or partners who would benefit from connecting and collaborating. This might be done simply as a buddy system for the class or through collaborative activities.
In asynchronous courses provide opportunities for learners to interact in real-time. For example set up weekly informal video chats or pair learners together as peer-mentors.
Plan in opportunities for students to share about themselves, their perspectives, and their backgrounds. Don’t just offer these activities at the beginning of class as it takes time for a group to get to know and trust each other.
Resources
Student Interaction Online | Teaching and Learning Resource Center (osu.edu)