Overcoming Isolation in the Online College Classroom

Introduction

Learning virtually can cause challenges for students, especially students not familiar with the online environment. Because of this, many online colleges and universities are facing attrition issues as students struggle to feel a connection with peers and instructors in the classroom (Shatila, 2023). However, virtual or distance learning is often the best fit for many students, especially due to full-time work and taking care of families. What is the answer, then, for this proverbial Catch 22? The online classroom must ensure that students do not feel isolated. Working to create a sense of belonging can help to make the environment more enriching and engaging, as well as encourage perseverance throughout the degree program (Shatila, 2023). "[S]tudent connection and sense of belonging positively impact academic perseverance, enhancing retention" (Shatila, 2023, p. 13).

Main Item

The importance of connecting with others came to the forefront during the Covid-19 pandemic. Students worldwide were isolated for long periods of time, affecting mood and academic performance. "Prior to the rise of the pandemic, trends of anxiety, depressive symptoms, and other mental health concerns in college students were already on the rise" (Raynor, 2022, p. 2). The pandemic brought to light the stressors college students deal with on a daily basis. Even as the pandemic wound down, online students continued to experience feelings of isolation. For that reason, focusing on creating connections within online classrooms assists in negating feelings of isolation and heightens the sense of community.

Two areas of connection should be focused on within online classrooms: peer to peer connection and instructor to student connection. Utilizing various methods of outreach and working to establish a classroom community help to meet these two areas of need. "A sense of online classroom community provides students with a feeling when they get together virtually as though they were in a classroom to share the common goal, expectation, and learning experience" (Xi Lin, et al, 2022, p. 3). Connecting with peers as well as faculty mitigates the feelings of isolation: "Students' achievement in an online course can be greatly enhanced with well-structured interpersonal communication" (Cung et al., 2018, p. 178).

Instructor and Student Connections

Instructors have a variety of opportunities to interact with students in the online classroom, but building a classroom community takes intentional focus on the part of the faculty member (The essential role, 2022). Interactions could be one-on-one, such as private messages within the classroom; text messages; or emails. Additionally, instructors can interact with the class as a whole; this can occur in live classroom sessions, chat rooms, or class discussions. Focusing on one-on-one interactions, "individual professors should find a way to connect personally with students that is consistent with their personalities and teaching styles" (Putulowski & Crosby, 2019, para. 27). Ensuring that contact with students is genuine and in line with the instructor's general interactions in class helps to establish and build a relationship between faculty and students. At the University of Phoenix, instructors welcome each student to class with an individual private message, greet and interact with students through class introductions, send check-in messages throughout class, and might also interact with text messaging and email. Doing this helps to create a rapport early on in the course and allows the online student to get a sense of the instructor's "voice." This is significant to a student's academic success. Instructor and student relationships "have the power to impact students' academic achievement and provide a positive overall...experience" (Mollet et al., 2022, para. 10).

Before class even begins, instructors can set the tone for the classroom. Sending an individualized welcome note to students lets them know that instructors are available to help as needed. Individualizing these notes can be as easy as addressing the student by name. Additionally, before class begins and in the first week, getting to know the instructors and students is important. By posting an introduction, either written or video, instructors can share personal information with students, almost as if they were being introduced in a face-to-face classroom. By inviting students to post their own introductions, instructors show the importance of learning about each other by sharing information and encouraging others to share. Responding to each introduction in a personalized manner also creates a community feel. For example, instead of saying "Welcome to class," perhaps say: "Welcome, John. I noticed you mentioned that you enjoy reading. Who are some of your favorite authors? I hope you enjoy our class!" Asking questions helps encourage conversation. It is especially important to encourage and initiate contact as a course begins, as the interactions often have a bigger impact when students are "more likely to feel confused or disoriented in a new virtual environment" (Putulowski & Crosby, 2019, para. 26).

Once class has begun, instructors can continue the community feel by posting non-course-related chat room discussions. These could be focused on topics such as favorite holiday, hobbies, vacations, and more. Giving students a place to discuss topics outside of course content provides a little relaxation and informal getting-to-know-you place. Even though online classes are often asynchronous, instructors may lead a "live" class one time or more. This lets students put a face (and voice) with a name and assists students in feeling comfortable asking questions. Finally, during class, instructors can reach out to students in various ways to ensure students feel supported and that they can ask for help as needed. Helpful methods of contact include messaging in the classroom, text messaging, emailing, and/or texting through apps (like Remind). Encouraging communication and responding quickly is key to helping students feel supported and not isolated in the online classroom.

Peer to Peer Connections

While instructor-student connection is a building block for classroom community, peer-to-peer connection is just as important. Feeling connected to peers can be done by establishing study groups, finding emotional support, and even future networking. Instructors can assist in peer connection through the creation of chat rooms, encouraging the use of study groups, and robust discussions with the classroom. Shatila (2023) explains: "Study results and participant responses indicate that there is a relationship between peer support and academic perseverance, or that at least the perception of peer connection positively influences academic outcomes" (p. 14). Feeling connected can help reduce the stress of learning online and feeling more isolated than learning on a ground campus. The more connections a student can nurture, the more optimistic they may feel about their time in school.

One way an instructor can assist online students to make connections with peers is through a non-academic chat room. This chat-room setting was mentioned above as a place where students can connect with their instructors, but perhaps more importantly, these chat rooms are places where instructors can encourage interaction between students. Prompts created by the instructor ("Tell us about your favorite holiday.") or simple questions asking students about their daily lives can be used to jumpstart conversations. Allowing class members to share a bit about their lives outside of the classroom helps students make connections. Chat rooms may also be a good place to find peers with similar interests and learning styles, which could tie back to classwork. Once students have made connections with peers, they may be more apt to create a study group. Encouraging study groups, while still valuing academic integrity, helps students feel connected to others and allows a safe place to ask questions and receive feedback and support.

Finally, instructors should encourage students to respond to others in discussions. "Learning can happen anywhere but it often happens best when it occurs in connection with others" (The essential role, 2022, p. 9). Course discussions provide an opportunity for all class members to share their ideas. Responding to peers helps to build connections between classmates. Additionally, when a sense of community is felt, students are more engaged with the course and its materials (The essential role, 2022). Creating and expanding on responses in discussions provides an opportunity to get to know peers, as well as a place for possible networking in the future. These connections can be used in future classes, especially if students are placed in courses depending on students' degree field. Creating a community feel within class and from course-to-course provides continuity and motivation to persevere in school.

Collaboration and interpersonal communication are paramount in instructors establishing an online classroom where students can succeed, helping to motivate and facilitate learning (Cung et al., 2018). Instructors can accomplish this goal in two main ways: through instructor-student interactions and through the facilitation of peer interactions. Combining these two avenues of communication allows for students to feel a sense of connection and community in the online classroom, leading to less isolation as well as motivation to persist.

References

Cung, Xi, & Eichhorn. (2018). Increasing interpersonal interactions in an online classroom: Does increased instructor email activity and voluntary meeting time in a physical classroom facilitate student learning? Online Learning, (22)3. 175-197.

Mollet, Kinzie, Wolf-Wendel, Santa-Ramirez, Block, Vargas, Muralidar, & Ikegwuonu. (2022). "It was rough": The experiences of first-generation collegians transitioning into higher education amid covid-19. New Directions for Higher Education, 199. 41-57.

Putulowski & Crosby. (2019). Effect of personalized instructor-student email and text messages on online students' perceived course quality, social integration with faculty, and institutional commitment. Journal of College Student Retention: Research, Theory & Practice, 21(2), 184-201. https://doi.org/10.1177/1521025117696823

Raynor, S. (2022). College students and covid-19: Psychological well-being and academic performance. Modern Psychological Studies, (28)1, 1-13.

Shatila, S. (2023). Not alone when I'm feeling stressed: Online adult learner connection and retention. Adult Education Quarterly, 1. https://doi.org/10.1177/07417136231184570

The essential role of community in teaching and learning. (2022). New Directions for Teaching & Learning, 2022(170), 9-12.

Xi Lin, Yan Dai, & Hui Shi. (2022). Comparing the sense of online classroom community between students from urban and rural areas at a Chinese university. Journal of Educators Online, 19(3), 1-12. https://doi.org/10.9743/jeo.2022.19.3.9

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