How can colleges turn classes into virtual communities

COVID-19 has not only affected the way we deliver tuition, but the pandemic also threatens the bonds that connect students to each other and their campuses. Institutions should create a certain amount of brand loyalty from their existing students, but this may be more difficult, especially if students are not connected to their campuses physically. Moreover, if incoming students do not see the difference between the online courses offered by their college and by a traditional four-year residential school, many universities and higher education establishment might lose the applications from new students.

How can teachers and educators promote a virtual community? Schools cannot substitute for tailgates and late-night debates over coffee, but with a certain effort, the universities and colleges can help their students to connect. One of the best practices of online education is for the instructor to “be present.” This extends well beyond meeting with students periodically in class or in office hours. In an online world, it’s vital for students to see you as a human being, not merely as an instructor as it helps students feel connected.

As suggested by professor Laura Freberg* tutors need to “be present” by following many best practices that institutions developed over time for online-only programs.

First, the tutor needs to introduce himself to the students in the right away. The introduction to a smaller class size of 12-15 students can be one by one, therefore more personal. With larger classes, making a “meet-the-professor” video sharing some personal insights might suffice. Seeing a teacher in a different environment other than a classroom can have a memorable impact on students.

Teachers are recommended not just use video for lectures; the format can also be used to welcome students to your class, provide feedback (much preferred by students to print feedback) and walk through assignments.

Long videos can be a low point as you can lose the attention of the students, so making lots of small videos instead of whole lectures might be more effective.

Another important thing is for the tutor to be responsive, keeping an eye on email and learning management system messages. The faster instructors respond, the better. A clear, upfront communication policy stating response times can be beneficial to avoid misunderstandings.

Additionally, as everyone learns this new way of online teaching, the teachers themselves should try to keep up and improve their skills so an anonymous evaluation of the course can be beneficial. Traditional end-of-course evaluations are good, but the current students might gain more from mid-term evaluation of tutors work. We need to ask questions like: What should your professor stop doing, start doing, continue doing? Based on student feedback, the teacher can adapt or change the way of the lesson so the students can find learning easier, prepare for the test better and they will see that the teacher is responding to their concerns. These tactics can boost relationships between the instructor and student.

Next connection is with peers and the institution. These may be more challenging as they are new responsibilities for the school/university to tackle.

Discussion boards and group projects force students to interact, but this is still the “school,” and they do not boost the type of informal chat that enhances communities. Besides formal discussions, it is great to encourage students to discuss class news and course content. The hope is that they’ll stay to talk with one another about topics that are important to them and help facilitate a sense of community and human connection.

The connections—to peers and the institution—are especially meaningful as students adapt and look for new ways to remain connected. In a survey done by a professor of psychology Laura Freberg* from California Polytechnic State University, where she asked the students how they were coping with feelings of loneliness during COVID-19. Responses from the survey included a creative array of virtual strategies, from playing online video games to group chats and watching online films together.

Suppose faculties and their institutions can provide a branded way for students to interact with each other virtually, in both formal and informal ways. In that case, they can improve their abilities to build real learning communities in the higher education establishments.