{"id":1074,"date":"2020-07-20T16:46:43","date_gmt":"2020-07-20T20:46:43","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.virginiawestern.edu\/grants\/notes\/?p=1074"},"modified":"2026-01-20T16:03:57","modified_gmt":"2026-01-20T21:03:57","slug":"how-do-you-build-relationships-in-an-online-world","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.virginiawestern.edu\/grants\/2020\/07\/how-do-you-build-relationships-in-an-online-world\/","title":{"rendered":"How do you build relationships in an online world?"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Back in the Before Times, I was planning to blog about some inspiring examples of faculty and staff who excelled at creating communities, where students had a sense of belonging and trust. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Our G3 planning grant discussions<\/a> reinforced that relationships are the “secret sauce” to student success<\/strong>, and I saw specific examples across Virginia Western.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

My focus was going to be on the PHYSICAL spaces where students just like hanging out together. Examples include our Military Student Center<\/strong> in Webber; the new cybersecurity labs<\/strong> in Business\/Science; and the numerous events and trips hosted by our TRIO Pathways <\/strong>coaching team.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Of course, all of this changed in March.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Many (but certainly not all) of Virginia Western’s classes will be conducted remotely this fall. One of the persistent criticisms of online learning has been the absence of face-to-face interactions that help build a sense of community.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In fact, only 12% of community college students reported they preferred online-only instruction<\/strong> in a recent national survey<\/a> conducted by the Center for Community College Student Engagement (CCCSE). Much more popular was in-class only instruction<\/strong> (42%) and hybrid classes<\/strong> (46%).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In the same CCCSE survey that asked how they were managing the pandemic, one of the top two concerns expressed by students was “feeling isolated”<\/strong> (75%), slightly behind “finding a job after completing their educational goals” (76%).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

So, how do we increase engagement and build community in our virtual worlds, to help students feel less isolated? <\/p>\n\n\n

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\"Cover<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

Flower Darby<\/strong>, an instructional designer\/community college educator and co-author of “Small Teaching Online: Applying Learning Science in Online Classes,”<\/strong> dedicated an entire chapter to building community. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Here are some of the book’s best tips for classes, which could also apply to student services:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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  1. “Require peer-to-peer interactions in your class.”<\/strong>\n