How to Create a More Engaging and Human Online Learning Experience

Wahiba Chair's Talk at the 2024 Learning Ideas Conference.

1. Wahiba Chair, MBA
@WahibaChair
How to Create a more Human and
Engaging e-Learning Experience using
Tech & Empathy #HumanizeELearning

5. A Before Covid
B After Covid
C N/A
When did you start
teaching online?
#HumanizeELearning

7. MISSION
TOOLKIT
POSITIVE
INTERACTIONS
RESULTS
Framework to make e-learning
more human and engaging

8. Community

9. Gratitude
Positivity
Inclusivity
Respect
Kindness
Empathy
Values
Transparency

11. LMS (e.g. BrightSpace)
Microsoft Teams/Zoom
E-mail Client
Which tools/channels
do you use in your online teaching?
(can pick more than one)
X (aka Twitter)
LinkedIn
Other (Share in the chat)
#HumanizeELearning

12. TOOL PEER TO PEER
INSTRUCTOR
TO PEER
PUBLIC PRIVATE

Channels

13. Is this private or public?
Who can I interact with?
Why are we using it? (purpose)
How are we using it? (tactics)
Are there any guidelines?
1
2
3
4
5
Channel
Expectations

14. Are there any guidelines?
5
Public
Interact with instructor, peers,
and others.
Build engagement and
community. Reflective learning.
Course hashtag. Weekly Twitter
chats and activities.
1
2
3
4
Expectations

15. DO’s DON’Ts
Always be kind and respectful to
your instructor and classmates
Share copyrighted class material
or private information
(without prior consent)
Check your tweets for spelling,
grammar, and accuracy
Attach the class hashtag to
controversial or sensitive topics
Add value to the
class conversations
Share inappropriate or
offensive content/media
Use GIFs and emojis to add some
fun, where appropriate
Sound like an AI Chatbot
(we want to hear YOUR voice)
Community Guidelines

16. There should be
synergy between
your course
channels, just like
an orchestra.
WAHIBA CHAIR, MBA
ASSISTANT PROFESSOR
#HumanizeELearning

18. 4 RULES OF
Group
C
las
s
I
n
s
t
itu t
i
o
n

Community

19. Group Charter
Discuss and document rules and
expectations building on course values.
Group Leadership
Group Leader
Assistant Group Leader
Group Channels
Private but promote collaboration
and transparency
elements of
effective
online group
work
3

20. Meaningful
Group Work

21. Which tactics do you
use to make
e-learning fun and
engaging?
#HumanizeELearning

22. Bi-weekly
/As needed
Discussions
Weekly
Chats
Ongoing Activities

23. Weekly Chats

26. I’m really enjoying this first week. Communicating with
others through the Internet can feel a lot less personal
than talking in person. But talking on Teams and
Twitter, using Emojis and GIFs, it feels so much more
personal. After going through Covid for almost two
years (yaaay), it feels therapeutic.
Mark (Online Student) via Teams

27. ITEM %
Relevance to discussion/activity and application of course concepts 60
Building on your classmates’ points 20
Quality of your writing (clear, free of spelling/grammar mistakes etc.) 15
Incorporation of research / outside sources (where applicable) 5
TOTAL 100%
Rubric (Discussions)

28. Ice Breaker

29. Subcommunities

30. Students act as
community
ambassadors

32. Grateful for my Group

33. I
n
t
e
r
a
c
t
i
o
n
C
o
n
v
e
r
s
a
t
i
o
n

C
o
n
n
e
c
t
i
o
n
C
o
m
m
u
n
i
t
y

4Cs
Starts with a positive

34. Transparency
Portfolio
Peer to
peer
learning
Engagement
Assignments
Less prone to AI
cheating

35. Recorded Video/Presentation
with Peer Review

36. Students build
their personal
brands and
showcase their
job-ready skills.

37. LEARNING
What you learned
from their
presentation
STRENGTHS
What you liked about
their presentation
OPPORTUNITIES
What improvements
do you recommend?
Kind and Constructive Feedback
Graded Peer Review

39. How do you measure
the performance
of your online
courses?
#HumanizeELearning

40. Student Evaluations
Channel Engagement
Qualitative
Feedback
MEASURE
Holistic
Measurement

42. More opportunities to interact with each other
[...] However, I did enjoy the twitter activities;
they were a lot of fun and allowed us to make
some connection with one another.
Source: Student Evaluation for Asynchronous Course (2021)

43. Channel Engagement

44. Sentiment

46. Channel Engagement

47. It takes a very passionate and committed
individual to make a virtual student feel like
they’re the only one in the class.
5/5
The course was very engaging and I got a lot value
from it [...] I feel like I bonded with my classmates
and professor more than in most online courses.

48. Creating a safe, inclusive, and positive
space for everyone to contribute...

49. The tools do not replace the
human touch

50. MISSION
TOOLKIT
POSITIVE
INTERACTIONS
RESULTS
Framework to make e-learning
more human and engaging

51. @WahibaChair
#HumanizeELearning
WahibaChair.com/LIC