Brian Yeich
January 11, 2022
Two Simple Ways to Keep Students Engaged Online
Written by Dr. S. Brian Yeich
I have been teaching online since 2008 and I have discovered a few things along the way. One of the maxims of online education is maintaining student engagement and providing avenues for “high touch” elements since the teacher and the learner will typically never be together in the same physical space. Here are two practical ways that I have attempted to maintain engagement in my courses.
1. Personal Messages
This past semester I was teaching a hybrid course. It would have been easy to leave the personal interaction with the students to the scheduled in-person days. However, with a hybrid course, it is critical to keep students engaged before and after any in-person meetings. In addition to some limited discussion forums to maintain engagement, I also personally messaged each student through the LMS and asked them how their semester was going and for specific ways I could be praying for them throughout the semester. To my surprise, one student reported that they had never had a professor directly ask for prayer requests or personally message them in this way. The students reported that this simple effort really helped them feel a part of the class and that I had their best interests in mind as I was teaching.
2. Video Responses
Rather than simply giving written feedback to posts or assignments, I have a practice of recording short video responses. These are not lecture videos that might be used for several course sections, but rather focused videos. For example, for a group discussion forum, I will record a video response to the entire group where I can expand on their conversation, respond to each student and draw the elements of their discussion together. Students report that they appreciate this type of response since it helps them build connections with me as a professor. Another way I have leveraged the use of video is recording a short video that introduces the next module or updates the class on important information. Again, this seems to help build connection and rapport with students who may never see their professor face-to-face.
There are many other ways to connect with online students including Zoom office hours and phone calls. Regardless of the modality, the importance is providing a sense of connection when teaching an online course. As Jeff Selingo recently observed in his newsletter, Next, “Faculty are critical to students finding a sense of belonging and purpose in college.” Engaged and connected students are more likely to complete a course successfully and will also positively impact a school’s ability to retain students.
As a faculty member, what ways do you engage your students when teaching online? As a student, what have your professors done to keep you engaged?
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