Connect with Learners

<aside> 💡 Learners will feel a meaningful connection that develops into an alliance through continuous authentic human interaction with the instructor.

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Specific Techniques

• Introduce Yourself: Share your personal and professional background, challenges you've overcome, and pivots you've made in your career.
• Get to Know Your Learners: Ask learners to introduce themselves and/or respond to a questionnaire.
• Build Rapport: Review learners’ introductions and respond in authentic ways based on what you learn about them.
• Use Videos: Use videos to allow for more face-to-face interaction with learners, creating a more personal connection and fostering a sense of belonging.
• Be Present: Engage with learners, ask them questions, and be open to answering questions and modeling for them how to explore thoughts and feelings safely and appropriately.
• Build Trust: Let learners know when they can expect to hear from you by stating when you will post announcements, provide feedback on assignments (and where to find it), and hold office hours.
• Be Available: Make it easy for learners to contact you by including this information in your syllabus, and provide options such as a virtual room link for office hours and a discussion board for questions.
• Encourage Feedback: Encourage learners to provide feedback on the course content and structure, and be responsive to their suggestions.
• Respond Promptly: Respond promptly to learner questions and concerns, and show a genuine interest in their progress and success.
• Incorporate Collaborative Learning Activities: Incorporate collaborative learning activities that require learners to work together in small groups or pairs.
• Provide Meaningful Content: Consider learners' experiences and interests when selecting course content and resources.

Overview

The practice of connecting with learners helps minimize power dynamics, begins to establish trust, and opens communication pathways. When instructors and learners have connected, learners are more likely to come to instructors when they are having academic difficulties and respond to suggestions for remediation.

With this practice, learners feel higher motivation, increased comfort, and enhanced communication (Weimer, 2010) in a trusting, learning environment. Learners also report higher satisfaction with courses in which they have a connection with the instructor.

How to Implement the Practice

Course Modality Considerations

Asynchronous

Synchronous

Hybrid

References and Resources

Citations

Resources

Contributors

DW Wood, Leticia Velasquez, Anita Crawley, Sally Baldwin, Casey Woodson, and Ashlie Kauffman Sarsgard