What Your Students Want You to Know

We all know it has been challenging for both teachers and students to navigate this pandemic. With faculty teaching and students learning from home, focus, motivation, access, quiet space, and Zoom fatigue affect us all. Teaching or learning online has its own unique dynamics that many of us are still trying to adjusting to. In a recent panel discussion including both faculty and students conducted by the Chronicle of Higher Education, students were asked what they wanted their professors to know to improve the online learning experience.

Here are four things they shared.

1. Connection is essential for learning.

Research already confirmed that one of the most significant challenges of the online learning environment is students feeling isolated (Roddy et al., 2017). We also know that the teacher plays a critical role in student learning (Bain, 2004).  So, it is no surprise that one of the things students mentioned was the importance of feeling a sense of connection to the teacher and their fellow students. In a survey completed by 3000 college students, the authors found that students’ ability to feel confident and competent was related to whether they felt the professors were accessible. Although creating connections isn’t always easy in an online format, ongoing outreach, consistent office hours, effective use of synchronous class time can help, and checking in with students about what is working and not working. But it is not only a connection with the teacher that is important.  It is the connection to their classmates too. 

2. Incorporate collaborative, interactive student activities.

The survey revealed that most students do want interactions with their classmates in meaningful ways.  Planning short 10-15 minute interactive tasks between 2 or more students during a synchronous class can keep students active, engaged and motivated. We already know that Zoom breakout rooms can be challenging and create issues. However, there are several ways to mitigate those dynamics (see 10 Ways to Improve Breakout Room Experiences at https://www.dremilywhitehorse.com/blog/10-ways-to-improve-breakout-room-experiences). 

3. Less lecturing time when synchronous.

Students actually expressed preferring short videos to watch in advance and then use the synchronous time for discussion and interaction. If this sounds familiar, it is the premise behind the flipped classroom approach, which can be very effective when used appropriately. 

4. No Group Projects!

Student panelists raised the issue about the difficulties of doing a group project in an online environment. For those of us who have done it for an in-person class, we know it creates challenges for students. However, navigating working as a group online requires significant logistical and technical know-how to make it work. The issues that can go wrong are numerous, including scheduling time, reliable internet access and connection, different learners, and motivation levels. It tends to fall short on learning and high on frustration.

References:

Bain, K. (2004). What the best college teachers do. Cambridge, MA: Harvard Press.

McMurtie, B. (2020). What Students Want. Chronicle of Higher Education. Retrieved from https://www.chronicle.com/newsletter/teaching/2020-09-24

Roddy, C., Amiet, D.L., Chung, J., Holt, C., Shaw, L., McKenzie, S., … Mundy, M. E. (2017) Applying best practice online Learning, teaching, and support to intensive online environments: An integrative review. Front. Educ. 2:59. doi: 10.3389/feduc.2017.00059 Retrieved from https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/feduc.2017.00059/full