Asynchronous online classrooms offer a flexible and convenient learning experience for diverse groups of learners. While you might think that the absence of real-time interaction can pose a challenge in establishing a sense of community among students and instructors, the asynchronous learning environment is rife with opportunities to community-build. Creating a supportive and connected learning environment is crucial for fostering engagement and enhancing the overall learning experience. In this blog post, we will explore effective strategies for creating a vibrant community in an asynchronous online classroom.

Cultivate a Welcoming Virtual Space

Start by setting the tone for a warm and inclusive virtual space. Create a welcome message or video that greets students as they enter the course platform. Encourage students to introduce themselves on discussion boards or forums, sharing their interests, aspirations, and a fun fact about themselves. By doing so, you will promote a sense of belonging and encourage students to view the online classroom as a safe and friendly place to connect. This type of exercise gives instructors a great deal of data they can use to personalize the learning experience for each student. Remember that Jane mentioned in her intro that she wants to be an occupational therapist? Then whenever something comes up in future class discussion or handed-in assignment that bears on this goal, the instructor can reinforce Jane’s motivation toward that particular goal.

Establish Clear Communication Channels

Effective communication is the backbone of any successful online community. Clearly outline the various communication channels available to students, such as email, discussion forums, messaging systems, or virtual office hours. Promptly respond to queries and provide constructive feedback to ensure that students feel heard and supported throughout their learning journey. The instructor is a very important part of the online community and serves as an important model for engagement and interactivity. This is the main responsibility instructors take on when they teach online, not “extra work” that they do.

Foster Peer Interaction

In an asynchronous setting, creating opportunities for peer-to-peer interaction is paramount. Encourage collaborative activities, group discussions, and virtual study groups. Assigning group projects that require students to work together fosters teamwork and helps build connections beyond the course content. Additionally, periodically organize virtual social events, such as online game nights or virtual coffee breaks, to facilitate informal interactions among students. At many schools, students – especially those enrolled in the same program or major – will be in many of the same classes. So, helping them form relationships with each other in your class can set a good stage for meaningful learning experiences in other courses as well.

Incorporate Video Elements

While the course may be asynchronous, incorporating occasional video elements can add a personal touch to the learning experience. Consider recording short video announcements, summaries of key concepts, or mini-lectures. Sharing your facial expressions and voice can make a significant impact, helping students feel more connected to you as the instructor. Having students post videos might tax the storage capabilities of the school’s LMS, but you can encourage synchronous video conversations (between students and the instructor, and between the students themselves) as a way of helping student interact “face to face” with each other.

Celebrate Student Achievements

Recognize and celebrate student achievements, both big and small. Acknowledge assignments that go above and beyond, milestones, or active participation in discussions. Highlighting students’ accomplishments through personalized messages boosts their confidence and reinforces a positive learning environment. They also get the sense that they are seen and that the instructor cares. Students care more when they perceived they are cared for, and we can leverage this dynamic in service of each student’s success.

Promote Reflective Discussions

Encourage thought-provoking discussions that prompt students to reflect on their learning experiences and share insights. Pose open-ended questions related to real-world applications of course concepts or how they relate to current events. This approach not only deepens understanding but also encourages engagement and critical thinking. Remember, this is ultimately the point of all discussion boards; these aren’t evaluations of learning. These aren’t “assignments.” These are learning tools – places where students to go reinforce and deepen their understanding. Thus, the best discussion prompts will be those that did not have a “right answer,” but instead encourage application and reflection and – yes – mistakes.

Share Personal Stories and Experiences

As an instructor, don’t be afraid to share personal stories or experiences related to the course content. Relatable anecdotes can humanize the learning experience and create a connection between you and your students. When students see that you are approachable and have experienced similar challenges, they may feel more comfortable engaging with the course material and sharing their own anecdotes, helping them make strong neural connections between previous experience/knowledge and newly acquired information.

Conclusion

In an asynchronous online classroom, community building goes beyond just academic engagement; it is about fostering connections, encouraging collaboration, and nurturing a supportive environment. By cultivating a welcoming space, establishing clear communication channels, promoting peer interaction, incorporating video elements, celebrating achievements, encouraging reflective discussions, and sharing personal stories, instructors can successfully create a vibrant and connected community in the digital landscape. Ultimately, building a sense of community will enhance student motivation, participation, and overall satisfaction, transforming the asynchronous online classroom into an enriching and fulfilling learning experience for all involved.

Experience and research have shown us time and time again that the critical component of any successful online course is student engagement. The more students are actively involved in their online course work, the better they perform, the more enjoyable they find the course, and the more likely they are to continue on to graduation. As online teachers, we are not only “disseminators of knowledge,” but we must also inspire curiosity, critical thinking, and creativity in our learners. As Bloom’s famous taxonomy would put it, “We don’t just stop at the base of our pyramid – we reach all the way to the top. Students must know and comprehend, for sure, but true learning doesn’t happen unless we apply, synthesize, evaluate, and create.”

One of the best ways to engage students is to create an active learning environment for them; a fun, collaborative, exciting online class experience that lights up all the lobes of the brain. This environment is neurologically rich and diverse, facilitating deeper learning. The purpose of this article is to highlight how to leverage active learning strategies in the online classroom – and how these strategies empower our students, propelling them even further in their academic and career goals.

What is Active Learning?

Active learning requires students to step out of the traditional “passive learner” role and into being active participants in their own learning process. Rather than (or in addition to) receiving information passively via lecture or textbook, students who are actively learning engage in mindfully crafted activities that exercise their critical thinking ability, require dynamic collaboration, and provide “real world” application of what they are learning. This approach enhances retention, understanding, and overall student satisfaction.

Leveraging Interactivity

In the distance learning environment, one of the most effective ways of activating our students is to provide plenty of opportunities for interactivity – between the students themselves, between the students and the instructor, and between the students and the material. Some examples include:

• Asynchronous Discussion Forums: Create online discussion areas where students can express their thoughts, ask questions, and debate topics related to the course material. Encourage active participation by assigning roles or facilitating the conversation. Remember that discussion forums are not places where students “show they know something.” While they may be graded, they are not assignments, really. They are opportunities for learning. A place where mistakes are okay.
• Polls and Surveys: Use real-time polls and surveys during synchronous lectures or asynchronous communications (announcements, emails, discussion posts) to gauge students’ understanding, gather opinions, and encourage reflection.
• Group Projects: Assign collaborative projects where students work together, share ideas, pool their experience and individual resources, and solve problems together. Group work builds teamwork skills and fosters camaraderie that inspires students to log in more than they may otherwise.
• Interactive Quizzes: Create engaging quizzes that challenge students to apply their knowledge and receive immediate feedback, reinforcing their understanding.

Implementing Multimedia Resources

Neurons that fire together, wire together. We learn best when our visual, auditory, language, and memories centers are all firing in unison, which suggests that we need to provide our students with enriching multimedia learning resources. These include:

• Video Lectures: Record concise and engaging video “micro” lectures that cover complex topics, breaking them down into manageable segments – 10 minutes or less! Visual aids, animations, and demonstrations can enhance comprehension.
• Virtual Field Trips: Take students on virtual field trips, exploring relevant sites or conducting lab simulations, offering an immersive experience that supplements theoretical learning.
• Guest Speakers and Webinars: Organize webinars or invite engaging guest speakers to share real-world insights and experiences, inspiring students to apply their knowledge to practical scenarios.

Encouraging Self-Assessment and Reflection

Incorporate self-assessment and reflection activities into your online courses. Encourage students to review their progress regularly, set personal learning goals, and reflect on their strengths and areas for improvement. This self-awareness empowers students to take ownership of their learning journey. You can give assignments that are specifically self-reflective in nature (i.e., a weekly journal or a beginning and/or end-of-course reflection) and you can also embed self-reflection into other assignments, like within your weekly discussion forum prompts (i.e., “Identify something you found particularly interesting in this week’s reading and explain why it resonated with you.” Or “What questions were you left with after watching the TED talk assigned this week?” or “This week you learned about X, Y, or Z theory – how did it strike you? What was your reaction to it?”).

Providing Timely, Supportive Feedback

Prompt and constructive feedback is essential to reinforce active learning efforts. Offer personalized feedback on assignments, discussions, and assessments, acknowledging students’ strengths and providing supportive guidance for growth. Do not think of yourself as a “grader” – think of feedback as a conversation and an important learning moment for each individual learner. Additionally, be available for one-on-one virtual consultations to address questions or concerns.

Conclusion

In the digital age, active learning has proven to be a powerful online teaching best practice. By incorporating interactive elements, multimedia resources, and fostering a supportive learning environment, educators inspire students to become active participants in their education. Embracing active learning not only enhances student engagement and retention but also cultivates critical thinking and problem-solving skills that are invaluable for their academic and professional journey. Indeed, information, knowledge, and simple “book learning” is way too easy to come by in a world where the answers are at our fingertips. The most successful among us will be those who can take that information and use it creatively and with ingenuity, purpose, wisdom, and confidence. These are the types of people online instructors are tasked with molding, and one of the best ways to do that is by harnessing the power of active learning.

To Learn More…

At AdjunctWorld we offer two certificate courses intended to help you increase your understanding of online teaching best practices (OT101: Fundamentals of Online Teaching) and best practices in online course creation and design (CD501: Foundations of Online Course Development). Click the links to learn more and to see when our next cohorts launch. We’d love to have you! Join the over 500 members of our community who’ve improved their online teaching skills (and shored up their online teaching job resume!) with our professional development courses.

I once sat through a new faculty hire orientation where one of the speakers spoke at length about test integrity, emphasizing how we should prohibit students from working on exams with each other (the standard exam instructions at this school say that if the student is caught doing so, they will be reported to the proper disciplinary office). I sat on my hands during this because it was obvious that the school took this very seriously. I didn’t say a word, but I really, really wanted to. Because what kept popping up in my head was this: “Why would that be a bad thing?” Or, at least, would it be a bad thing in all cases? Could there be some nuance here?

Because I could picture it. A table of four students sitting down with their lattes and laptops at the library, each with their textbook out, arguing the relative merits of one answer vs. another until they ultimately arrive at an answer based on the output of their productive conversation. That sounds like what higher education should be like. That sounds like an amazing collaborative learning opportunity. Why do we have to call this “cheating?” Is that a fair descriptor – at least in all instances? Even online, if students were to get on a video call on their own time and do this same thing virtually, in some situations, it could be a great and engaging, collaborative learning moment, not one that should be overtly discouraged in the exam instructions. Again, at least in all instances.

I’m not alone in this. There have been some research studies conducted on the value of collaborative exams in higher education. For example, Eaton (2009) tested two different collaborative exam protocols in a geoscience course. One of the conditions provided an incentive for working together. This was known as the “jackpot effect” whereby if a student knew the right answer, but then changed it to concede to the group, then they still got their point for their “wrong” answer (that was originally “right”). This meant that there was nothing lost by working on the exam with others – it could only improve an individual student’s grade, not hurt it. In the other condition, there was no jackpot effect, but the exams themselves weren’t worth large of a chunk of the students’ overall course grades.

Both conditions showed a significant positive net effect on student learning. Obviously, students who weren’t as academically strong benefited from the collaboration, but the results of this study suggest that the performance of higher-achieving students also benefited from collaborative exam-taking. In addition to the obvious learning advantages of test collaboration, the author makes a terrific point when concluding, “Wider application of these methods could make a critical difference in reversing student apathy toward science in colleges and universities” (Eaton, 2009 pg. 113).

Whether collaborative exams would work in any particular instance depends on a variety of factors – your personal teaching philosophy, your schools rules and regulations, the purpose of the exam, and perhaps this is a concept that molds better to some disciplines than others. But there is an option here to broaden our reactions to students “working together” on an exam. One person’s “cheating” can be another person’s powerful, engaging, collaborative learning moment. And, to be fair, vice versa. But a consideration nonetheless!

REFERENCE:

Eaton, T. (2009). Engaging students and evaluating learning progress using collaborative exams in introductory courses. Journal of Geoscience Education, 57(2), 113-120.