Speaker Topic – Fostering Connections

It’s easy for both students and faculty to feel disconnected from each other in online classes. And the Covid-19 pandemic both underscored the challenges of distance learning and reinforced the importance of feeling connected to the people in our classes. Strengthening connections and sustaining a vibrant community can help students engage, persist and learn in any context. This talk offers practical strategies to strengthen students’ social and cognitive connections, which improve online teaching and learning experiences for all.

You’ll hear about topics such as 

• Why the distance inherent to online classes raises unique barriers to student learning and success
• The theoretical foundation for establishing a strong community of learners
• Why focusing on creating and maintaining equitable and inclusive social connections can powerfully impact equitable outcomes 
• Do-able how-tos and tips for strengthening social and cognitive connections in person and online