Looking Past the Constants and into the Variables of Mathematics Education

Considering all of the course modalities, the online delivery is the most challenging. With in-person and hybrid courses, professors have the opportunity to meet face-to-face with the students. Online courses, many times lacks the personal connection. A personal connection is never made between students to professors or students to students.

Community

A sense of community plays an important part of online student success. Students need to feel connected to other students. They often feel alone and not belonging to a class. I have found when students feel alone, they find it hard to stay focused. They also are challenged to complete their assignments on time. Students perform better with a sense of belonging. They learn from peer interaction and collaboration. One example to increase a sense of community for online students is to use a discussion board. This will allow students to connect and share obstacles and successes. I offer this for online statistics courses that heavily rely on technology to complete assignments. The students share what steps have worked and which ones have not.

Professors as Online Facilitators

Professors need to be present for online learners. They need to make sure that students see them as a real person. Professors become more of a facilitator when working with online courses. Another important part of success for online students is to ensure timely feedback. Students rely on this for motivation and engagement.