Learning requires focus, and focus requires attention to what is being studied, thought about, formulated, and written. It is a process that occurs with intent and conscious involvement, and cannot be rushed no matter how much any student would like for it to be. Yet as any instructor knows, being enrolled in a class, especially an online class, is rarely the only responsibility a student has in any given week. For many students, classwork is often viewed from the perspective of what can be accomplished in the least amount of time, with the least amount of effort, and with the least interruption of all other required responsibilities. In other words, classwork is not always a top priority.

During pre-pandemic times, many students could balance their lives, careers, family, other responsibilities, and classwork in a fairly productive manner. While there were always exceptions to the rule, I knew I could count on my students to submit their work in a timely manner and receive fairly substantive discussion posts and written assignments. There were students who occasionally had work or life issues, along with time management challenges, and those who seemed to experience a sense of stress. Yet that was often the exception rather than the rule, and usually felt at deadlines.

Now since the pandemic has set in and taken hold, there is a general unease that has seemed to settle in. Now an ability to cope with even the most basic of tasks has become challenging for many students, with classwork seeming to compound the intensity of emotional reactions experienced. Even with the best intention of having a future goal, it isn’t always enough to stay motivated and calm when challenges arise. Then if anything occurs during the course of a term, such as receipt of a grade less than expected, it could be the last proverbial straw that completely upsets them. This is why instructors, more than ever, must be prepared to interact with students in a calm and soothing manner.

Instructor Stress: It Cannot Be Ignored

The sense of unease I’ve talked about for students applies not just to students, but to instructors alike. It seems a rare few have been affected by the long-term effects of the pandemic, though over time some of us have acquired better coping skills than others. I know it took me time and effort to reach a point where I felt a sense of calm, and this had to do with uncertainties about my health and job, the health of my family, and the loss of a family member from Covid. This has only made me even more empathetic with my students, because I know whatever they are going through, I have experienced something like it. In other words, instructor stress is real and should not be ignored.

The challenging part of experiencing stress as an instructor is not showing this to your students. Now I’m not talking about sharing your experiences with students, as that is something different. I let my students know what happened when I lost a family member, so they were aware of the fact I am a human too and can relate to them. But what I don’t want them to see is someone who is stressed out, if I should ever feel that way. What this means is that being calm is a matter of feeling the turmoil inside but showing a sense of calm on the outside. It’s a balancing act and one that takes time and practice. This is also very similar to emotional intelligence, being able to control your emotional reactions effectively.

Student Stress: Please Understand It

Prior to the pandemic, when a student would send me a message and seem to be under stress, I would recommend time management strategies or whatever was appropriate for helping them. Typically, there was one of a handful of reasons for their stress and the solution was not too intensive. Since the pandemic, I can only wish for the stress to be a matter of an easy time management solution. Now it seems that a significant majority of my online students are feeling the pressure of their careers, children at home and/or going back to the classroom, and the list continues. For many, their lack of attention has increased, along with an inability to write with complete thoughts and in a cohesive manner.

I’m observing less of an effort being made by many, and yet the expectation for what the outcome should be for a grade, is still the same as if they were working at their best level of performance. Then one incident in the classroom, be it a low score, plagiarism incident, or missed deadline, can be all it takes to create a major feeling of crisis. There is no question students are feeling an unprecedented level of stress, anxiety, and uncertainty now. I know those who are enrolled are trying to persist and continue on, whether to fulfill their goals and dreams despite conditions, yet their struggle is real. As an instructor I have to be aware of it and willing to understand their perspective. If I’m not willing to help, they will fail.

Four Strategies to Become Calm

The strategies I’ve developed to create a calming presence has come with time and practice, and personal experience feeling anxiety during this stressful time. I do not claim to be perfect, yet I believe I’m at a place now where I can work with some of the most frustrated students and help alleviate their sense of stress, at least to some degree. Perhaps my approach to remaining calm can help you as well.

Collected:

As an educator, you are the one your students are looking to for guidance and a sense of purpose as they attempt to engage with the course. What this means for you is an unwritten expectation of being prepared, and that means knowing the class materials, having relevant knowledge about the course topics, and most important of all, having a temperament that is calm enough to address students when they are happy or frustrated.

For you, establishing a proper temperament requires knowing your mental setpoint and only becoming available when you know you can reach this state of mind. If you have Office Hours coming up then you need to give yourself a break ahead of those hours, to mentally prepare yourself for interacting with students. What you need to do is to collect your emotional state of mind so that you can be focused on the needs of your students, rather than feeling scattered.

Alert:

Once you have developed a sense of being emotionally collected, or having a sense of becoming focused on requests made by your students when needed, now you can become more alert to classroom conditions. When you feel you are centered, then checking in on your online class will not feel like a chore or cause apprehension and anxiety. You are observant and alert to even the most subtle of changes in student behavior. You’ll also be ready to help those students who are not doing well, especially those who are not speaking up to ask for assistance.

Level-Headed

This is one of the most important aspects of establishing a calm disposition, being able to sustain a sense of emotional stability. Where you’ll find this to be invaluable is when a student sends an email, or contacts you directly, and they seem to feel confused, uncertain, frustrated, or any other form of emotional reaction that may tend to trigger a naturally negative response within you.

What you want to be able to do is to absorb what they are stating to you and then help them to reset their frame of reference. You can accomplish this goal by listening first to them, more than you speak. You take in what they are stating, without giving back to them the exact emotional response. This doesn’t mean you have to accept improper behavior, rather you just don’t return it in kind. Approach them in a level-minded manner, and then help them by addressing their questions, concerns, or requests.

Mindful:

The final strategy is maintaining a sense of internal balance to become mindful of students. When I refer to mindfulness in this context, I’m suggesting to consider first their perspective and what they might be experiencing. Even if a student is in the middle of a plagiarism incident, I still want to speak with them. There may be something I can teach them, along with something I can learn about them. Perhaps they had more than usual stress going on that week and in the midst of it they didn’t remember to follow all required steps. No matter what the case may be, try to understand them.

The second aspect of mindfulness is being aware of how you can be perceived, primarily through your tone with an online class. This is directly connected to being aware of the student’s perspective. If you are uncertain of how a message or post might be perceived, try reading it aloud. There are so many other ways in which being mindful can extend to your students, and it can occur when you have an opportunity to speak with them. I know it is becoming less important to online students to have actual verbal contact with their instructors, and yet, when I receive a call from a student, I take time to listen, engage, assist, and teach. There is so much you can learn about your students during a call, and when you do, you can build meaningful connections with them.

When Your Students Feel Better, You Feel Better

It doesn’t matter how your students contact you, or the state of mind they are in when they do, except if they are acting inappropriately or overly aggressive. When your students are seeking assistance, or they have a question, they expect you to be available to assist them in a calm and rational manner. It is understandable you are going to be experiencing the same type of stress they are feeling, especially given the circumstances work and life has presented since 2020 ushered in a new era. Yet you have to be one who rises above all of it and have a steady approach to maintaining the classroom and your relationships with students. If you don’t, it won’t be long until many students become unable to handle the stress.

While you may find it a tall order to keep yourself emotionally balanced for your students, consider the effect it can have overall. Instead of thinking about yourself first, start with your students. When they find you are calm and easily approachable, they are going to have a positive experience, which in turn will allow you to feel at ease. I notice this now with my students. If a student calls me and I can sense they are experiencing stress, I will attempt to diffuse it by building rapport and establishing a connection with them. Then I can address the issue they’ve called about in a calm manner, which helps them understand I’m trying to help and support them.

You’ll find the more a student feels an instructor’s supportive presence, the more they’ll stay focused and engaged in class, which is absolutely critical for distance learning. It’s not about ignoring the stress you or the students are experiencing, rather it’s a matter of creating a humanistic and caring approach to teaching that helps you and them flourish. There is no certainty when the pandemic is to end or life will become stable. But what students need to know now is that one person, their instructor, is able to be the calm in the middle of the storm that may be their life at times.

What causes a student to want to learn? Is it the same reason why students want to seek out course-specific knowledge?

The standard formula in higher education is to add students and an instructor to a pre-built curriculum, and the result is the creation of a learning environment. To bridge the gap between students and the learning process are planned activities, along with resources to help students engage with the activities. But intellectual curiosity, a process which cannot be controlled, is either inherent or prompted by completion of planned activities or involvement of an instructor.

Learning within a formal classroom environment can be an intellectual activity. When the intellect of a student is engaged, cognition is elevated from automatic thinking to higher order thinking, and possibly critical thinking. Intellectual curiosity then, becomes the desire to understand why, when reading new information, the search for an underlying or fundamental premise within what is read that may be new or different, the desire to seek out challenging views and perspectives, and a time when existing beliefs may be questioned.

As an instructor, you may find it important to understand why students need intellectual curiosity while engaged in your class, and what you can do to help prompt it. While teaching as a traditional instructor, it was easier for me to observe the engagement level of students who were present in class, and ask directed questions to help them think further about the course topics. However, as an online instructor this type of strategy needs to be adapted, and it’s something I’ve learned to do with time and practice. I’ve discovered you need to do more than just ask questions, there needs to be thought given as to how questions are asked, along with the perceived tone of the message posted. What you read next may help provide your teaching practice with new ideas and strategies.

Why Learning Activities are Important

The two most common learning activities built into a traditional online class are asynchronous class discussions and written assignments. The reason why these are the most commonly used activities are twofold. They provide engagement from an individual and group perspective. The purpose of an asynchronous discussion is to guide students to specific information and answer targeted prompts. The assumption built in is that the reading associated with the discussion will prompt reflection and warrant further investigation, leading to intellectual curiosity.

As to written assignments, the same underlying assumption applies. Students are guided to specific information and then the belief is they will reflect upon the information, and through the engagement of their cognition their intellectual curiosity will be prompted. This should then lead to a well-researched, well-developed, and carefully thought-out paper.

For discussions, the reality is that a majority of students write a reactionary post without having read the assigned materials, which means more is needed to prompt an interest in reading the material and an intellectual curiosity. As to written assignments, students who are newer to writing, or want to take the quickest route to completion, either use minimal sources, over-use sources with too many direct quotes, or use inappropriate internet sources. This is why the need for an instructor’s guidance is required, to help direct the attention and focus of students where necessary.

Why Engaging Intellectual Curiosity Matters

Consider first the perspective of casual reading. While the purpose may vary, the intention typically isn’t to gain extensive knowledge or acquire information for long-term memory. In contrast, formal learning is sought with a specific purpose, and the intellect takes on an important role in the acquisition of knowledge for the long-term. First engaged is cognition and mental processing of information while materials are read, once students read the assigned materials and then seek out supplemental readings.

When a student becomes highly engaged mentally, they are more likely to demonstrate critical or higher order thinking, or an ability to reason logically, and write at an elevated level. For example, they can take and process information, and synthesize its meaning. This leads to another condition, mental acuity, or having a sharply focused state of mind. This also comes about as a result of being intellectually curious. However, the ultimate goal of this type of curiosity is to seek knowledge, for the purpose of learning.

How to Prompt Intellectual Development Among Students

For any class, especially an online class, the person who has the most influence on the development of a student’s intellectual development and interest is an instructor. I’ve found it occurs as a result of my direct involvement in the classroom, regardless of the amount of time spent. I say this as I’ve learned to make every interaction with students matter, from demonstrating appreciation for their effort, to prompting their intellectual development. In other words, you don’t have to spend every day in the classroom to be effective. You can take time off and still engage effectively with students for the days you are online.

To prompt the curiosity of your students, perhaps the following strategies can be added to your list of teaching strategies.

#1. Leverage Your Expertise

A pre-built curriculum should never be viewed as something which replaces your experience and background, even if there is nothing additional for you (as the instructor) to initially add to your class. Where your expertise is most needed is with course discussions and feedback. In other words, all aspects of the course in which you are involved in can benefit from the knowledge you hold. What you know can help to make the course topics more interesting and engaging, and create further interest within students.

#2. Ask Frequent Questions

The use of questions can be an effective tool for prompting further thinking about course topics, if utilized in a strategic manner. For example, when I’m involved in course discussions, I always conclude with a question to help extend the conversation. I understand this follows the Socratic form of dialogue; however, I try not to be quite so direct in my approach, given the online class format. I’ve found it is very important to consider the perceived tone of the post and to be as inclusive and welcoming as possible. I’ll also ask a question that draws in the entire class, as I may not always post a response to every student each week.

#3. Become Familiar with the Course Materials

As a Faculty Development Specialist, one of the most common errors I’ve observed is a faculty member who does not refer to course materials during class discussions. I’m not suggesting there is a need to integrate course materials into every discussion response you post; however, it can be helpful to refer to specific points which are important to main topics for the week. I’ve found this useful whenever I find students have not reviewed the assigned materials or missed important points. In addition, if I can help to make the course materials seem interesting, I may be able to help engage students in those materials.

#4. Always Be Curious Yourself

Here’s something to keep in mind: You lead by your example. If you are curious about the course topics, and demonstrate a true excitement for what is being studied, it is likely to influence your students. You will often hear educators talk about being lifelong learners, and this is what it’s about, maintaining a curiosity and interest for acquiring new knowledge. It’s also about asking “why” whenever you read or hear something, along with wanting to learn new information about the subject or subjects you’re teaching. For me, it has been some time since I completed my degrees, which means I need to stay up-to-date in my chosen profession, and I do this by always seeking out new knowledge.

#5. Use Feedback as a Prompt for Engagement

The task of providing feedback does not have to be straightforward, with a completed rubric and a few rote comments. Instead, you can use this as another opportunity to ask questions and share insight, and continue to prompt interest within your students. I’ll ask questions within my feedback, something as simple that begins with: Have you considered? What you want to think about is the student who has written the paper and made an attempt to understand what was assigned, and then process it in a manner which meets the required prompts. You can continue their thought process with your own prompts, and this includes a question or two. I’ve found some students will send me a message and respond directly, while most will continue to think about the topics and use what I’ve written as a point of reference.

Developing a Highly Engaged Learning Environment

All of the strategies provided above are done with the sole purpose of helping you to develop a learning environment that becomes one in which your students want to read the course materials, seek out information about the course topics, and become curious about what they are learning. I understand that students, as adult learners, should be self-motivated and have their reasons already for wanting to acquire their degree. However, as we know, the reality is online students are often non-traditional in that they are also balancing other responsibilities and likely trying to complete the minimum necessary as quickly as possible.

This means it is going to take the prompts of an instructor to help them become deeply interested and want to devote extra time. The good news is when I’ve made the effort, students do become curious and time becomes less of a factor as they do want learn more about the course subjects. This in turn makes the course more enjoyable for me to be involved in as an instructor, the discussions become more engaging and meaningful for all of us, and suddenly the spark of curiosity leads to a transformative learning experience. While there will always be some students who just want to get by, most students are going to respond positively, and become intellectually stimulated, by an instructor who is highly engaged and eager to share knowledge.

The global pandemic took the world in the clutches of uncertainty. As a result, it gave birth to more viable solutions for humans to carry on our everyday lives. Technology took center stage during this period. It broke all the impediments opening new paths of convenience. The online Education sector was in its nascent stage. However, the rising demand for education even during the pandemic was an impetus that helped reach its peak stage. This sector has witnessed an ascending curve and is still growing.
Research suggests that the e-learning industry will be worth $325 billion by 2025.

The blessings of modern technology like Artificial Intelligence, Virtual Reality have changed the learning scenario. An important question arises here – where is the path headed? Let’s explore.

Learn and Play

The concept of gamification is the new trend. It will make online learning faster. Indeed, an effective way for children to learn. Fun and curiosity will go hand-in-hand. The entertainment factor will inculcate the urge to learn in young minds. There is no doubt educators globally are resorting to this unique learning technique.

Data-Driven Insights

Collecting resourceful data will be the new trend. For instance: studying the demand, patterns, and needs of a specific group helps identify the problems. Educators in this way can create a solution by offering bespoke solutions. Both students and teachers will derive benefit from it.

Use of Chatbots

Chatbots will make online interaction easier. If the students face any difficulty, chatbots will recommend the best solution. The recommendations by chatbots are simple. Just click on the frequently asked questions section, and you can find them easily.

Learning through Video

The days of opening a book and reading the text are gone. The new age of modern technology is all about browsing. Videos will be the primary source of learning for students. They are the most engaging way of learning. One can also save a specific video and watch it later at a convenient time. The option of download is always available in the form of a resource.

Spreading Knowledge through AI

The availability of a teacher every time is a luxury. That’s where Artificial Intelligence comes in. Each chapter is programmed in a way that it can provide answers to the questions of students. Moreover, the use of automated graded systems ensures full transparency to assess a child’s knowledge.

New Way of Learning with VR and AR

Both virtual reality and augmented reality change the learning landscape. It is an easy way to identify the attention span of the student by helping them to avoid distractions. An immersive experience of these technologies grabs the attention of the child. It creates a new visual world taking him away just from the words in a textbook.

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