The scene: In a classroom, students at the front of the room sit up attentively. Students at the back are checked out. One plays a game on a phone. One draws on paper while the professor looks at her expectantly.
The way in which professors communicate humanness to students makes the difference in whether we come across as approachable or aloof. As schools return to holding classes in person, it might be tempting to shove thoughts of teaching online to the recesses of the mind. However, there may be good rreasons not to. Stay tuned for this discussion as part of this series. In the meantime, here’s how to stay connected with all of your students in the online environment.
If you have difficulty thinking about this environment at all, it can be helpful to know that making connections online isn’t really very different from making connection in the classroom. It is simply a matter of using different mechanisms.
Michael Lawson discusses ways that he creates a positive atmosphere and greets students in his classroom on the first day. (p. 211) In a classroom setting, it is easy to create a sense of welcome by using decor, music that creates a sense of calm or relaxation, arranging seating so that people are invited into disscussion, etc.
The tendency to rely on face-to-face mechanisms as means of invitation can make it harder to create a sense of invitation to participate in an online class. The professor plays a crucial role in helping students to connect personally for instruction as well as with other students for learning in community.
A sense that one is participating with others in an online class helps students to stay motivated to continue in online study. (Lehman, Loc. 304) In the current educational climate, when a great deal of education is being done online due to the risk of spread of COVID, it is more important than ever that students feel connected with the professor and with one another.
Many things can be done to make the online environment usable and friendly for students. These all help to decrease anxiety about taking online classes. However, the true sense of welcome comes from me and the way in which I interact with students. Even in an asynchronous class, where students do not meet with me directly, what I do can create a sense of welcome or aloofness.
I teach biblical language classes online, and currently students meet for a brief live session once a week in which they review selected exercises and questions that arise from their study. I come to class with some existing knowledge about my students based on information that I have when they sign up for class. Students are diverse in age, ethnicity, and background in language study. My task during the introductory session is to learn about their anxiety and needs concerning use of technology and to help them to feel encouraged about language study.
I always begin by welcoming the students and describing the class they are taking. I also tell them that I am happy to have them in class—and I always am! I tell them a short version of my own story. I have found that it helps students to feel more connected to me when they realize that I experienced hardships as a student of biblical languages. I disclose that I am blind, and I welcome their questions.
Finally, I ask them to talk to me about their interest in the course. My lectures in biblical languages are pre-recorded, but I always update the course with supplementary notes, lectures, and activities when I find out that students have particular interests. I often have students register who have questions about traveling to Israel or Greece, and I tell them that my courses will not teach them to communicate with native speakers. But they will learn some interesting history that they can keep in mind while they are doing research online or visiting ancient sites on their tours.
I ask students to post introductions in the discussion area during the first week of the course. I think this is often the most enjoyable part of the discussion for them because they get to chat and it isn’t stressful. I pay close attention to these discussions because the interaction between students is where I learn the most about things that I need to remember. It also alerts me to any students who don’t connect well with each other and who may need email outreach from me.
Linda Murphy explains that students have a low tolerance for feeling excluded in the online environment. (p. 59) When I feel that it should be the student’s responsibility to reach out for help, I remind myself that in a classroom environment, I would find it no trouble to speak an encouraging word. Email is my opportunity to do this.
Sources
Lawson, Michael. 2015. The Professor’s Puzzle: A Practical Guide to an Academic Career. Nashville, TN: B&H.
Lehman, Rosemary H. 2010. Creating a Sense of Presence in Online Teaching: How to “Be There” for Distance Learners. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.
Murphy, Linda. 2015. “Online Language Teaching: The Learner’s Perspective.” in Developing Online Language Teaching: Research-Based Pedagogies and Reflective Practices, edited by Regine Hampell and Stickler, Ursula. New York: Palgrave MacMillan, 45-62.
- Learning From My Younger Self - February 10, 2024
- more reflections on ITD - June 30, 2023
- On travel while at ITD: reflections after day 1 - June 27, 2023
- ITD day 1 - June 27, 2023
- ITD day 1 - June 27, 2023
- Job Descriptions, Inclusivity, and Equity for People with Disabilities - October 15, 2022
- Traveling without a Guide Dog: Experience with Cane and Walker - October 14, 2022
- Disability and Church, Intersection - June 11, 2022
- Review: When Chronic Pain and Illness Take Everything Away - June 11, 2022
- Grammar and Style Resources for Writers - June 9, 2022
