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Our world today is rapidly evolving and changing. This goes for education as well. As the world shifts toward more online learning experiences, teachers are left with the job of not only teaching in a non-traditional sense, but also have to be moderators, facilitators, counselors, and tech support. Teaching is no longer about setting up a Google Meet or Zoom call, it is about finding ways to connect with students and help inspire them to learn and grow.
Image courtesy of https://elearninginfographics.com/the-great-teacher-infographic/
Connection
Due to the nature of online learning, it is important for teachers to find ways to connect with their students. Denysova, N. and Tsapro, G. (2025) recently conducted a study to see how the role of teacher varies in an online setting. They realized that interaction is a key component of connecting with students. They stated, “Interaction between learners and instructors, as well as among learners themselves, creates a sense of community and mutual support, which is vital for student success.” (p. 45). By creating an online environment that helps both students and teachers to connect with each other, teachers can facilitate a community of learners who are engaged with each other and motivated to learn. In the book Teaching and Learning at a Distance, Simonson and Zvacek (2024) state, “Students often appreciate gaining insight into a teacher’s personality and learning more about them as a person. This could be something as simple as telling an amusing story about one’s childhood ro mentioning a favorite hobby.” (p. 194). When instructors include personal anecdotes about themselves, provide backgrounds and photos, this encourages students to as well which helps establish a group presence.
Another great way instructors can build community is by providing a welcoming space for learners. This can be through virtual classrooms where students have access to helpful links to financial assistance, counseling, academic help, etc. Teachers can also conduct quick, personal check-ins to see how students are doing. Another great way is to encourage collaboration and discussion within your class through discussion posts, zoom meetings and breakout sessions, icebreaker activities, etc. “Engaging actively with course materials and participating in various activities help students deepen their understanding and improve learning outcomes.” (Denysova, N. & Tsapro, G., p. 45). When teachers and students have a sense of rapport with each other, students are more likely to be engaged and motivated in a remote setting. Teachers can provide personalized messages, celebrate different milestones among their students, and basically show up for their students so students feel respected and valued.
Video courtesy of https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eCpxklY3mPA
Responsibilities
Teachers in online learning environments also have a set of responsibilities that help ensure students have the most effective learning experience. These can include organization, technology support, and assessment requirements. Simonson and Zvacek (2025) state, “One responsibility that falls to teachers in distance education courses is recognizing when a student is struggling with the unfamiliarity of the learning environment or technology.” (p. 195). Many students believe that online learning will be easier than traditional classroom learning because they are behind a screen. They believe that teachers are not actively monitoring their students, and that they can coast through the course. This often leads to struggling learners who are unfamiliar with the demands of online learning. They further state, “The most essential requirement for a distance education instructor is to be highly organized and stay on top of the many communication activities within the course.” (p. 195). This allows students to feel connected with their instructor, and it helps the teacher see who may be struggling and needs further assistance. “Instructors need to be alert to who is engaged and participating and those who seem to have disappeared.” (p. 195). You never want a student to fall through the cracks because they are uncomfortable with their online learning environment.
Another important factor is to be highly organized. Denysova, N. and Tsapro, G. (2025) state, “The design of online courses must consider the specific needs of the target audience and the learning objectives of the course. By understanding these factors, educators can tailor online learning environments to enhance engagement, accessibility, and overall effectiveness.” (p. 44). Teachers can not flail about with their course instruction. It is a lot of work to teach virtually, and instructors need to have not only a basic understanding of the technology components of the class, but need to be available to quickly communicate with students and help them troubleshoot when they get stuck. Instructors should have set times they are available, provide timely feedback, and provide various means of communication so that students can easily communicate with them. Also, assessments should be effective and reflect the students’ understanding of the material. “By focusing on both performance and quality metrics, educators can better understand the strengths and areas for improvement within online learning environments, thereby optimizing the learning experience for students.” (Denysova, N. & Tsapro, G., 2025, p. 44). When teachers are on the pulse of their students’ learning, they are better equipped to tailor their instruction to ensure all students’ needs are met.
Although online teaching can be a difficult and time consuming process, instructors have the responsibility to reach their students effectively. By encouraging active participation, fostering a sense of community within their class, and creating a welcoming environment, teachers are providing an online learning environment where students are more likely to be motivated and engaged in their learning.
References
Denysova, N. & Tsapro, G. (2024). Thesaurus of the lemma teacher in academic discourse of online learning: A corpus based study. The Modern Higher Education Review, (9). (p. 30- 51). https://doi.org/10.28925/2617-5266/2024.92
Simonson, M., & Zvacek, S. (2024). Teaching and learning at a distance: Foundations of distance education (8th ed.). Charlotte, NC: Information Age Publishing, Inc.
Stones, Wenyi Lee. (2018, Oct. 3). Teacher and student’s role in online learning [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eCpxklY3mPA
Top Teaching Colleges (2013, Nov. 24). The anatomy of a great teacher [Infographic]. TopTeachingColleges.net. https://elearninginfographics.com/the-great-teacher-infographic/
Laura, connecting with our students is so important to prevent isolation or lack of motivation. I recently read a study about what types of engagement have the biggest impact on distance learners' motivation. Interestingly, the time flexibility of the teachers (really it's the student's ability to get in touch with the teacher whenever she wants to) is one of the most important aspects to student motivation (Kuluşaklı, 2025). Putting the students' learning back into their hands is easy to do in distance learning, where independence is, by nature, part of the environment. Simonson & Zvacek state that “distance education is moving away from a schooling perspective to a more learning-focused approach,” (2024, p181). When we ensure that students are independent but also able to reach teachers as needed, we can balance the two aspects of distance learning that seem to be most important.
ReplyDeleteReferences:
Kuluşaklı, E. (2025). Student engagement and flexibility in distance learning in higher education. SAGE Open, 15(1). https://doi-org/10.1177/21582440251329979
Simonson, M., & Zvacek, S. (2024). Teaching and learning at a distance: Foundations of distance education (8th ed.). Charlotte, NC: Information Age Publishing, Inc.
Laura,
ReplyDeleteWhen we connect with our students, we help set them up for success. In distance learning, it can be hard to make connections due to not meeting face-to-face. Simonson and Zvacek (2024) state, " Presence helps to create a sense of rapport with others in the online environment and this connectedness has been linked with motivation, engagement, persistence, and achievement for remote students (Glazier,2016; Martin & Bolliger, 2018; Richardson & Lowenthal, 2017)" (p.194). Also Rose et al. states " that the more engaged the students are, the more satisfied and motivated they are to learn and improve
their performance in the online learning environment". Teachers who make a connection with students are increasing their motivation to learn.
References
Rose, N. N., Ishak, A. S., Universiti Malaysia Perlis, Hamidun, N., Universiti Malaysia Perlis, Universiti Malaysia Perlis, Universiti Malaysia Perlis, & Othman, N. F. (2023). The role of the instructor in the online classroom. In Chapter. https://doi.org/10.4018/978-1-6684-8908-6.ch018
Simonson, M., & Zvacek, S. (2024). Teaching and learning at a distance: Foundations of Distance Education 8th Edition. IAP.