Professors at George State University’s (GSU) Perimeter school came together last month to discuss the challenges of building an online classroom community. The faculty best-practices discussion was led by instructors Bettina Durant, Tosha Lamar and Nicole Lynch and sponsored by the Center for Excellence in Teaching, Learning & Online Education (CETLOE).
This discussion was part of an ongoing GSU objective to advance scholarship and practice of instruction through the means of professional development opportunities for instructors, according to Durant, assistant professor of communication and journalism, Perimeter College. Durant has been teaching online for more than 10 years and believes humanizing the online experience starts with creating an inviting space, and then following up with a big personality.
“I love what I do and think the use of presence pedagogy and humanizing the online classroom not only builds community in my online courses, but also serves as the wind beneath setting the tone for student success,” she said.
Durant advises other faculty to not shy away from getting personal. Durant recommends using the announcement tools and video tools in iCollege to share personal information and connect with students. And she invites comments in return from her students throughout the course, especially at the end of the semester.
Why is community so important in 2020?
Creating community in the online classroom is nothing new, as it has always been important and will remain a priority, Durant said. As schools navigate a “new normal” in which many students are experiencing the online classroom for the very first time—and doing so during a pandemic—it’s even more important for professors to build a community and make their students feel valued.
“Scholars reveal there is a strong correlation between learner interaction and engagement, sense of community, and success in online learning,” Durant said.
There is no doubt that the pandemic weighs on all students, whether it be how it will impact their families, their college, the economy and their future.
“Consequently, I feel this has resulted in an even greater student-professor connection,” Durant said. She credits pedagogy, humanizing the online classroom, and her fearless students, for these ongoing community connections.
Tools for building community
Nicole Lynch, assistant professor kinesiology, dental hygiene, health professions, has been teaching online for more than eight of her 20-year career. She reported that in 2020, two tools specifically are helping her to better connect with students online.
The first tool is Cisco’s Webex meeting platform.
“All of my classes are asynchronous, so I do a meeting after the first week of class for all of my students to meet one another,” Lynch said during the discussion. She uses this time to go over the syllabus and to navigate class expectations. The meeting is usually held it in the evening, which seems to work best for getting the highest number of attendants.
Throughout the semester, she tries to find other reasons to set up Webex meetings, such as a review before a test.
“I teach anatomy and physiology and they both have labs and so they have been great environments for doing practical exams online through Webex.” For example, Lynch will set up multiple Webex times for an exam and then the meetings end up being small groups, maybe five students each.
“These types of online meetings can result in developing community that could extend beyond the online meeting and the smaller groups,” Lynch said.
Lynch’s second tool is structured, online discussions. It is a place for students to work on homework together and to practice what they are learning in class. Lynch says she will prompt the discussion, but then students create threads from the original topic, and the discussion can continue throughout the week.
Lynch does recommend setting parameters for the students in these discussions, such as required participation in a discussion at least three times a week.
Joining the discussion, Robin Gardenhire, clinical instructor, department of respiratory therapy, who teaches medical terminology for healthcare and has been teaching asynchronously online for 15 years, touted sparking creativity in students to improve their interactions and sense of community. For instance, she’s been using BackPack for students to share word finds and flash cards with the class. And she’s noticed an improvement in her students’ critical thinking skills because of it.
Future of Communication
For her part, Tosha Lamar, and online math teacher of 12 years, has gone beyond the online education platforms to embracing social media. She’s had success with group text messaging students. She said that while all of the course information is on the calendar, a text is a helpful reminder to students who have a phone in hand 24/7.
Lamar also communicates with students via Twitter. She can use it as a reminder tool for dates and assignments, but also to share personal information.
“I see myself as a soldier on the frontlines in the battle to ensure COVID-19 does not negatively impact opportunities for my students to achieve success in the online classroom,” Durant said. “Researchers reveal that working to increase student achievement helps students become more confident, more motivated, and more focused on winning the prize of education. Consider me a member of ‘Team Students,’ a group who wholeheartedly believes building community in 2020 is the high score.”