Academic Success Tip: Adding a Human Touch to the Virtual Classroom

Over half (53 percent) of U.S. college students were enrolled in at least one online course during the 2022–23 academic year—a decline from the prior pandemic years but still above pre-pandemic levels (35 percent in 2018–19), according to National Center for Education Statistics data released in January 2024.

College students taking online courses may need professors to make greater efforts to build supportive virtual classroom environments.

In a May 2024 Student Voice survey by Inside Higher Ed and Generation Lab, students who were taking all their classes online are less likely (67 percent) to rate the quality of their education as good or excellent, compared to 72 percent of those taking a mix of in-person and online courses and 76 percent of those taking all their classes in person.

Trust in the professor may also suffer when courses are online instead of in person. The Student Voice findings show that students taking all courses in person are more likely to report having “a lot of trust in professors”—47 percent compared to 37 percent of those taking courses all online.

“The intrinsic human desire for meaningful relationships underscores the importance of establishing emotional connections between educators and students, particularly within virtual learning environments,” writes Lauren Flannery, a lecturer in health sciences at the University of East Anglia in the United Kingdom, in a piece published to the Times Higher Education Campus platform last month.

She offers six actions for professors to ensure the human touch remains a fundamental aspect of learning in the online classroom.

1. Build emotional connections

Cultivating connections involves being approachable and responsive to students’ diverse needs, exhibiting interest in their experiences and remaining open to their perspectives. Active listening—shown by repeating what students have communicated to affirm understanding, for example—serves to validate the contributions students are making to discussion and encourage more dialogue. Repeating back also helps avoid misunderstandings, because students can then clarify as necessary.

Another way to strengthen bonds is to check in with individual students regularly via video calls or messaging platforms, Flannery has found.

In the Student Voice survey, respondents expressed a desire to have mentoring relationships with their professors. Over half, 55 percent, believe professors are at least partly responsible for being a mentor. That increases to 60 percent for in-person-only students and decreases to 47 percent for online-only students—indicating that perhaps online students are less likely to be making personal connections with their professors.

2. Nurture trust

“Trust is essential for effective teaching and learning, especially in online environments,” Flannery writes. She advises that professors be mindful that online learners are also often juggling multiple responsibilities, including work, family obligations and academic study, making them more easily overwhelmed, particularly during the lead-up to formative and summative assessment deadlines.

Clear expectations and prompt responses to questions can help. Flannery also advises remembering and using students’ names as well as expressing gratitude for their contributions.

Regular check-ins help in ensuring students have understood directions. “If possible, allow them to [provide] feedback anonymously to mitigate any potential embarrassment,” writes Flannery, adding that digital polling of concept understanding can be effective. The idea is to create a safe space for students to express themselves and take risks throughout their learning journeys.

3. Use technology thoughtfully

Discussion boards and chat tools can facilitate meaningful communication among students and instructors, Flannery explains. Questions that encourage deeper thinking can include, “How does this concept apply to your personal experiences?” or “Can you give an example of how this might apply to your future practice?”

Before assigning a task requiring breakout room participation, she says it’s important to establish whether learners can access and use platform functions such as microphones and cameras, in case they’re in a space that doesn’t allow such activity and need to observe rather than actively participate.

4. Personalize learning experiences

“Varied cognitive abilities, learning styles, cultural backgrounds, levels of emotional intelligence and personal interests call for personalized approaches to teaching,” Flannery writes. “Be flexible and offer students a choice of how to participate.” For example, explain to students that they can ask and respond to questions verbally, through writing in the chat or anonymously via a collaborative whiteboard.

Offering multiple assessment options—such as a written essay or a presentation—can also help in meeting individual needs.

In a study from Carnegie Mellon University researchers published in 2024, students with more autonomy in their academic choices had better attendance and improved academic performance. “Creating personal autonomy in courses can help students in their education and beyond, by improving physical and mental health, teaching them how to be independent decision-makers, and giving them flexibility to balance careers, caregiver duties, activities and more,” the researchers wrote.

5. Encourage community-building

“Creating a sense of community within the virtual classroom is vital for reducing feelings of isolation,” explains Flannery. She encourages gauging the emotional climate at the beginning of each class, perhaps resulting in the need to allow learners to take a quick break or engage in relaxed breathing before getting into the class content.

Icebreaker activities can also initiate interactions among students or facilitate group discussions to help build rapport, notes Flannery.

In a 2023 webinar on reducing loneliness among college students, Jessica Gifford, the founder and chief connection officer for ProjectConnect, shared an exercise she calls “Happies and Crappies,” which allows each student to share one positive and one negative thing from their week. She will also use a question of the day as an interpersonal icebreaker, such as “What fictional character would you like to be friends with and why?”

6. Follow up after class

Flannery suggests professors, after each session, consider sending out follow-up emails thanking learners for attending and providing additional resources on the content. “You may also find it beneficial to use a survey to collect insights that could help you improve future sessions. Helpful questions to ask may include how relevant the topic was to their interests or professional needs, how satisfied they were with the opportunities for interaction and how satisfied they were on a scale of one to five with the depth and clarity of the information presented.”

By implementing this and the other strategies, plus actively responding to feedback, Flannery writes, “we can ensure that emotional connections remain at the forefront of the educational experience.”

Read the full piece by Lauren Flannery. Share your own tip for engaging with students in online courses here.