5 Ways Online Instructors Can Increase Community Engagement - Wiley Education Services

24/1/2021 5 Ways Online Instructors Can Increase Community Engagement : Wiley Education Services
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5 Ways Online Instructors Can Increase
Community Engagement
6 minute read
    
Teaching online can sometimes be a scary departure from the norm for faculty who
have spent years teaching in the face-to-face classroom. Questions around community
engagement and interaction in the online environment are well-founded and
necessary.
However, with the right actions and strategies, online faculty can foster a thriving,
high-quality online or blended classroom that maintains the experience felt on
campus. This
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built an engaged community within her own online classroom. Read about her
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experience below.
Is it possible to foster a sense of place and community engagement between

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Is it possible to foster a sense of place and community engagement between
faculty and students in the online environment? Can online faculty motivate
students to learn and feel curious (if not passionate) about course material
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we are not face to face and when we are not online at the same time?
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The Bottom Line: Yes! My experience has shown me that you absolutely can
have excellent faculty-student interaction and student engagement in the
asynchronous online learning environment.
Below are my top ve tips for fostering social presence and community
engagement. I call them “Points of Contact”, or touch points, between the faculty
member and students.
But before I begin, I want to note that these tips are only e ective after a strong
foundation is built. No online course will be e ective without a strong curriculum,
measurable student learning objectives, and clear assessment mechanisms.
Top 5 Points of Contact for Creating

Faculty-Student Engagement
1. INCORPORATE INSTRUCTOR VIDEOS
For students, seeing the professor as much as possible helps to build social
presence. That’s why I’m not shy about using video in my online classes.
I recommend creating a weekly kick-o video where you, the professor, describe
the goals and key learning objectives of the weekly content. However, make sure
it’s a “throw-away” video; in other words, personalize the video for that course
and that moment. Many online instructors create a weekly kick-o video and fall
into the trap of overly scripting it. Instead, create a video that is unscripted,
personable, casual, and customized for each particular class – don’t worry about
it being perfect. Insert timely information about current events, such as the
weather, an upcoming holiday, or what you did over the weekend. Maybe
commend a particular student for a major milestone like running a marathon.
Students greatly enjoy this “real” contact with the instructor.
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2. OFFER QUALITY (OVER QUANTITY) FEEDBACK
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The reality is that we’re all super busy and you’re not alone if you worry that
teaching online can take over your life. To fully engage, you need to be present—
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participating in discussions, providing multiple forms of feedback, and
responding promptly to emails and messages. My rst time teaching, I’ll be
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honest; I over did it. But then I learned to work di erently—smarter, more
e ciently.
So what does this look like? It looks like feedback that is speci c and
personalized. While it’s okay in my opinion to copy and paste some standard
comments, each touch point should include an item of feedback that is highly
personalized to the student’s post. It should be direct and relevant to the
student’s interests, goals, and major course project.
Work smarter. Take your time with this quality feedback. Quality over quantity. I
found that students still consistently report in my evaluations that they enjoy my
classes speci cally because my comments make them feel that I’m present and
committed to helping each student succeed.
3. BE (PERCEIVED AS) AVAILABLE
Similar to Tip #2, while it’s important to be there for your students, the reality is
that it’s most important that they perceive that you are there for them. Students
want to know that you are watching, participating, and leading the group. They
want to feel that if they need you at crunch time, you are there and available.
I do maintain frequent contact with students, both formally (written evaluations)

and informally (through messaging). But again, it doesn’t do anyone any good if
you get burnt out. My tip is to focus on being there at key moments, such as
helping contextualize course material at the weekly kick o , clarifying upcoming
assignment expectations, and guiding them to cross the nish line for big
assignment deadlines.
I recommend that online faculty remind students that you’re there for them at
every point of contact. I remind students at every touch point that I’m here
anytime they need me, all they need to do is message or call. If you’re worried
that you will be bombarded with calls, don’t be. In my experience, students
simply want reassurance that you’ll be there for them if needed, but they aren’t
looking for daily contact. The perception that you are there goes a long way for
building social presence and satisfaction online.
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4. SHOW SOME PERSONALITY Partner Login
In my opinion, learning should be fun. Students are motivated when they are
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engaged, interested, and feel curious, so don’t be afraid to show your personality
as an online instructor – your students will love it.
There is no need to take every minute seriously. Use humor, make a joke in an
announcement, throw in some emoticons or an LOL to let everyone know they
can relax a little, and most importantly, be human. When appropriate, disclose a
few personal details. Perhaps post something about your background and
experience in a discussion. Throw in a reference to pop culture. Use a trendy
phrase or two. Let students know it is okay to take chances and be themselves.
5. BE SPONTANEOUS
When you know students have a lot on their plate, such as a big upcoming
assignment deadline or work over a major holiday, show some compassion and
don’t be afraid to change things up. Surprise them by cutting down on a course
requirement or requiring them to comment on only one classmate’s discussion
post instead of two, or maybe require no peer responses at all! I promise you
that the learning will be the same in the end, but students will greatly appreciate
your exibility.
Every time I take this approach, students publicly message me to say thank you. It
builds camaraderie and community, and shows that I’m on their team to help
them cross the nish line.
In the end, a sense of community and engagement between faculty and students
is not limited to the brick and mortar classroom. No matter where the learning
happens, students are eager to learn when they are given engaging course
material, clear and direct feedback that is relevant to their lives and goals, and
they perceive their instructor to be engaged, knowledgeable, and caring.
To learn more tips on teaching in the online environment from other online
instructors, visit our resources page.
Authored by Kim
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24/1/2021 5 Ways Online Instructors Can Increase Community Engagement : Wiley Education Services

Is it possible to foster a sense of place and community engagement between

Top 5 Points of Contact for Creating

1. INCORPORATE INSTRUCTOR VIDEOS

2. OFFER QUALITY (OVER QUANTITY) FEEDBACK

3. BE (PERCEIVED AS) AVAILABLE

I do maintain frequent contact with students, both formally (written evaluations)

4. SHOW SOME PERSONALITY Partner Login

Associate Professor, Graduate Faculty

Finally, an Online Advising Di erent Learning H

Read Article → Read Article → R

Wiley Education Services

What would you like to learn more about—partnership models,

0 of 250 max characters

University Follow Wiley Education Services

Thought Leadership Menu

Copyright 2021 | Wiley Education Services

Privacy Policy • Sitemap • Terms of Use • 407-618-5400

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