Three Ways To Be A Human In Your Online Classroom

Not so long ago, it seemed like vending machines were everywhere. On your way through the double doors to buy eggs or rent a movie, you could exchange a few quarters for a cold can of Coke. And of course, if you found some extra quarters sitting in the change return – or an unclaimed can of soda – it was fair game.

It's easy to feel like a vending machine when you're teaching online. Students submit assignments, you hand out grades, and everyone moves on. But a transactional relationship with your students doesn’t promote real learning. And when your students see you as a grade-dispensing machine, they’re inclined to treat you as one. They're much more likely to cheat – jiggling the machine and hoping a free Coke falls out.

Like the lines of Pepsi and Coke machines outside an early-’00s Wal-Mart, an online classroom can feel impersonal. On the first day of class, you meet a list of names and ID numbers with maybe a few headshots sprinkled in. Your students can read your welcome announcement and bio, and view your profile picture, but none of these interactions are immediate or unfiltered. It's only natural for everyone to feel a bit anonymous.

We know that a sense of belonging helps to boost retention and success rates in online classes. But building community in this environment can be challenging. The spontaneous exchange of ideas, so critical to meaningful learning, is already at a premium for both online and residential students in the age of AI. So, are online classrooms doomed to feel impersonal? At Magellan Learning Solutions, we don’t think so. Over the years, our curriculum design team and faculty mentors have helped many online instructors build human connections with their students. You can do it, too!

On one level, of course, your students do know you’re a human. But when they’re writing discussion board posts or hammering out late-night essays, they can forget. Centering your humanity in your online classroom can help you and your students have more valuable interactions. And the ideas below can help!

Use Video Interaction Strategically

Video technology might seem like an easy way to replace face-to-face interaction in an online classroom. It can certainly be an effective tool. But if you’re teaching an asynchronous course, it’s important to use video sparingly and carefully. Keep in mind that your students signed up for an asynchronous experience. It’s unfair to require (or heavily incentivize) these students to attend live video sessions.

Pre-recorded video interactions are a good alternative, but be mindful of video length. Students might stay engaged and interested during your 50-minute live sessions, but they’ll likely tune out during an equally long video lecture.

To make the most of video tools in your courses, aim to create short, casual, value-packed moments with your students. A brief weekly video announcement that includes a bit of professional yet down-to-earth small talk can be a great start. This isn’t the arena to share controversial opinions or a looming health concern. Try giving students a glimpse of your pets, hobbies, or vacations. Sharing these details feels personal without crossing boundaries.

You can likely use video tools to deliver your grading comments and discussion board remarks, too. Requesting a brief response from students can incentivize them to watch these videos.

You can also use videos to “meet” your online students. Asking them to create their own videos can be very effective in small doses. Try to avoid video assignments that let students simply read from scripts – these are often not enjoyable to film or watch. Instead, ask students to share short, conversational insights on camera. To speed up the grading process, you could ask them to provide auto-generated transcripts of what they said (but you should plan to watch some of their footage, too!).

Keep Language Professional Yet Sincere

Parents of teens often hear “it’s not your job to be your child’s best friend.” In a way, this advice applies to teaching adults online, too. It’s ok for you to sound like your students’ instructor – not a peer – when you write announcements, grading comments, discussion board replies, or instructional content. But with the right tone, you can sound like a friendly instructor who wants to connect. These grading comments from online instructors illustrate the importance of tone:

• “This is AWESOME!!!!! You’re the only one in the whole class who did this assignment right.....”
• “This is very well done. Your language was straightforward and clear, and your research was convincing. You made a really strong point about caffeine overconsumption – it inspired me to think twice about my second cup of coffee this morning!”
• “Rhetorically sound; advanced vocabulary; scholarly bibliography”

The first comment is too unfiltered, while the last one sounds wooden. The second comment strikes an effective, balanced tone. This instructor seems authoritative while still creating a moment of genuine connection.

Share Some “Favorites” With Your Class

As an online instructor, you teach partly by sharing resources with your students. You can offer them videos to watch, podcasts to listen to, images to look at, or documents to read. Of course, not everything you share will be entertaining or personally meaningful. But finding small ways to curate your resource selection can add a human, personal touch to your class.

If you’re teaching a zoology course, you could share a few extra facts or resources about your favorite animal and explain why it’s so interesting to you. If you teach literature, you could share your favorite poem and tell your students what it means to you. In an online nursing class, you could recall a challenging experience you've had with a patient in the past. Then, you might give your students a resource that would have helped you in that scenario.

Of course, it should be clear to your students that their preferences and interests are important in your class. After all, your course exists for their benefit, not yours. The goal of sharing your own tastes with students isn’t to teach them about you. Instead, it can free your students to share what they care about – and this is often when real learning happens.

The Bottom Line: Being Human Means Being Vulnerable – For You and Your Students

Exposing your humanity to your online students isn’t always comfortable. To be human is to be vulnerable. The more details you share about yourself, the more potential there is for students to dislike what they see. However, like all relationships, teacher/learner interactions need appropriate vulnerability to thrive.

The Magellan team prioritizes RSI (regular and substantive interaction) in our course design. Creating interaction opportunities between instructors and students, and between students as peers, satisfies federal mandates. When designed well, RSI also facilitates the productive exchange of original thoughts that underpins academic progress.

Magellan Learning Solutions: Building Real Connection

At Magellan, we help our clients design curriculum and launch programs that promote meaningful human interaction. Through instructional design, faculty training, and collaboration with stakeholders at all levels of our client institutions, we take online education to its fullest potential. Ready to learn more? Email us or fill out our form, and we'll be in touch soon.