How to Better Humanize Online Learning: Examples From Community Colleges

• In Event: Enacting Equity-Focused, Student-Centered Pedagogy in Virtual Learning Environments

Abstract

Study objectives. Despite the rapid growth of and high hopes for online learning to increase access to higher education, existing research has consistently identified large performance gaps between online and face-to-face courses offered at higher education institutions, particularly open-access institutions. Existing research consistently points out that a major challenge to successful learning in online environments is the greater difficulties in providing a “humanized” learning experience, where an individual perceives herself as a “real person” and feels connected with others in a classroom community. While the literature has converged on these challenges, this work is often conducted without a consensus on what a humanized experience should incorporate; nor is there a concrete and applicable guidance on how to humanize online learning. In this study, we draw from three strands of literature to create a comprehensive framework to define what “humanized online learning” means in college online courses and then use this framework to observe 100 online courses taught at a large community college to identify specific instructional practices that have been used by instructors to provide humanized online learning experience.

Theoretical framework. Drawing from the literature on the humanization of education, educational technology, and online learning, we define “humanizing online learning” as pedagogies and instructional practices employed by instructors to enhance the extent to which students feel they are understood and perceived as a real person and are connected to peers and the course instructor. We further conceptualize that a humanized course pivots on three key components, including student agency, instructor presence, and peer presence.

Methods and data sources. This study utilizes a content analysis approach to identify examples of exemplary instructional practices that optimize student online experience through a humanized approach. A coding scheme was formulated based on prior research to capture specific instructional practices that enhance student agency, instructor presence, and peer presence. Data were collected from 100 courses that were randomly selected from all courses offered at a large community college in Fall 2018. Purposive sampling was then employed when selecting courses and examples of instructional practices. Specifically, the research rated the 100 courses systematically and selected 17 courses based on the humanization features evident in these courses according to an online course quality rubric. Using our humanization coding scheme, examples of instructional practices were then collected from the 17 courses by providing detailed description of each example. A total of 244 examples of different types of instructional practices, such as sending announcements and assigning discussion activities, were selected and coded.

Results and significance. We identify four, seven, and four categories of instructional practices that can be used to enhance student agency, instructor presence, and peer presence in online learning, respectively. We then use concrete examples to illustrate specific ways of using these strategies to humanize key course activities or components, such as course announcements, instructional materials, and learning activities. This framework, together with concrete examples, provides instructors with clear and actionable guidance on specific practices that can be used to “humanize” an online course.

Authors

• Qiujie Li, University of California - Irvine

• Maricela Banuelos, University of California - Irvine

• Yujia Liu, University of California - Irvine

• Di Xu, UCI