Strategies for making online courses more impactful

The world of online learning has blossomed. More students are taking advantage of the opportunity to earn a degree in asynchronous learning environments, furthering their education while balancing work schedules and family responsibilities. 

Yet, an asynchronous learning environment can seem impersonal or unengaging. As instructors, we must refine our teaching methods to bring our expertise to these courses in a personal way that engages students. 

When teaching in a traditional classroom, your students see you and hopefully engage with you. When students attend your lectures, they see first-hand your expertise, your excitement and your dedication. In an asynchronous environment, it is easy to hide behind the screen, quietly grade papers and manage the course. Our challenge is to break that barrier and show our students that we are here to support and guide them. 

Setting up an online presence

Developing your online presence at the beginning of the course is crucial. In my first announcement to the students welcoming them to the course, I include an introduction video, where I discuss the parameters of the course and strategies for success. 

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Yes, these aspects can easily be found in the syllabus. However, this initial engagement shows that you want to ensure your students have all of the information needed to begin and that you are present and supportive. As the old adage goes: seeing is believing. 

As the course progresses, maintain your presence by posting weekly videos either in the announcements or discussion boards. I often discuss the concepts of the week and provide relatable examples. For example, when discussing gene editing, I will highlight medical advances and active research using these technologies to treat genetic diseases. This helps the student take the concept from theory to practice.

Demonstrating application

The students enrolled in asynchronous courses tend to be non-traditional students. As much as I love teaching theory, these students are not necessarily interested in it. They want to know what the skill is and how it will directly impact their careers. 

This is especially important for students not seeking a degree in this field but who are taking the course as a degree requirement. My goal is for students to appreciate the utility in the concepts and skills we are learning. My students might not be interested in critically analysing how genetic variants affect physiology. However, the skills developed in researching the topic and analysing the mechanisms will help them build critical thinking and analytical skills – valuable transferable skills in any career. 

Another area of student engagement is through enhanced grading feedback. Students do not want to see just letter grades on their assignment, they want to see exactly what the strengths and weaknesses of the assignment were. This is accomplished by deploying rubrics with annotated, clear details on strengths and areas of improvement. 

I encourage my students to read my feedback and ask questions. It sends a signal to your students that you are not just mindlessly grading papers but a real person dedicated to their success. 

In an asynchronous course, discussion boards are a vital tool for engagement. Students will be asked to apply their knowledge and receive feedback from the instructor and their peers. By engaging with others, students will be able to refine their understanding of the course content and discuss the material using their own perspectives. 

Within discussion boards, I aim to engage with each student and encourage further critical thinking through Socratic questioning. These interactions will encourage the students to further develop their critical thinking and analytical skills.

Refining your strategies

Another important element is student feedback. The optimal method is end-of-semester surveys, where students can anonymously comment on the course and instructor. With an online course, you cannot see student reactions to the course material. 

These surveys take the place of those reactions. They help the instructor understand if certain concepts need further elucidation, if the students feel that the course was applicable to real life and if they felt that the assignments were manageable. Instructors should encourage their students to be very clear and detailed in their responses so instructors can refine the course materials and delivery.

As instructors of asynchronous courses, it is important to show our students that we are here, we care and we want them to excel. Using these techniques can help set and maintain that precedent. As we teach, we need to constantly reflect on our courses and feedback to improve our methods and better serve our students.

Heather Gass is professor of biology at Colorado State University Global.