Engage Your Students: An Introduction

 In order for any instructional activity to really work, students have to feel comfortable and secure. To create this sense of comfort and security, whether online or on-ground, your class needs to have a strong sense of community. How do you create a community space online? Be human, be present and be flexible. 

A community is a place where you can speak your mind, where you are willing to make mistakes and are willing to help others grow. A community is a place with a mutual sense of trust. Students tell us they fear that an online class may be impersonal and isolating--the opposite of a community. In this module we will talk about building a  sense of community in an online course. Take a look at this short video detailing how four current NEIT faculty accomplish this online.

Their secret (and all of our secrets!) isn’t really a secret at all, it goes back to old-fashioned common sense.  Reach out to your students, support them in multiple ways, help them to interact with you, with the other students and the content of the course, and help them to succeed. Together, these simple items can build community and help students thrive. When you use any or all of these methods you Keep the Human Element in (your) Online Classes Links to an external site..