Innovative and daring strategies to replicate the college experience among virtual learners.

The popularity of remote learning has surged since the early 2010s, with a majority of college and university students in the U.S. now taking some classes online. Online education has evolved to include new concepts like microcredentials, massive open online courses (MOOCs), and traditional degrees, catering to a wide range of learners. Remote students come from diverse backgrounds, including traditional college-age students, working parents, military members, professionals, and lifelong learners. Nevertheless, online learning presents a unique array of obstacles that students need to overcome successfully and may need help from their professors and administrators to do so.

Online learning has opened doors to higher education for students worldwide, but limited student-teacher interactions and face-to-face contact with peers and administrators can sometimes create feelings of isolation. Many people struggle with learning alone, and this may be one of your biggest obstacles with your online student. After all, humans are social beings. With on campus learning, students have full access to campus facilities, in-person interaction and discussions, and more opportunities to network and socialize. So, what measures can we as administrators and professors take to ensure students have access to the full college experience even in a virtual environment? The optimal solution might seem controversial, but it's crucial to start exploring unconventional ideas.

COLLABORATIVE LEARNING ? Online learning may feel isolating for students, yet collaboration is vital for effective learning. Institutions could examine areas with high online enrollment and establish temporary locations during key times in the semester to promote in-person student interaction and socialization. Collaborative learning in person can help students feel more connected to their classmates and can also help them develop important communication and teamwork skills. Identify the 3 locations with your highest virtual enrollment away from campus and search for rentable office buildings or hotel conference rooms with available Wi-Fi. With a bit of planning, they could perfectly host a weeklong pop-up study session before mid-terms and finals for your online students.

ONLINE OFFICE HOURS Many institutions are getting creative and using AI to assist with answering basic questions, most commonly in the form of a ChatBot to connect with students during peak times and after hours. However, counseling students about financial aid or how to increase their grade in the class still requires a human touch. Employ dedicated staff members to support online students by providing assistance before and after regular office hours since many online students have work commitments and are unavailable during typical business hours. Professors can utilize Teacher Aides or Graduate Assistants to be present during non-business hours to offer real-time help and address inquiries on the phone, through chats, and even live using Zoom/TEAMS.

GAMES/PRIZES Games are the most powerful source of engagement for students outside of the classroom, and they’re equally effective at driving engagement in learning. Introducing a non-grading competitive element in classes or when motivating students to meet administrative obligations, such as filling out the FAFSA or scheduling a meeting with an Academic Advisor, can help students feel more connected to their college community. Giveaways and pop-up informational kiosks are the norm for on campus students. So finding ways to provide the same type of experience to the institution’s online community may take some planning, but will greatly increase student participation and experience.

SOCIAL PARTNERSHIPS Institutional partnerships are not new concepts. Some partnerships makes it possible for students wanting a bachelor’s degree to save money by starting out at the community college, or to take courses at another institution by using a consortium agreement.? And virtual or home learners being allowed to participate in extracurricular and interscholastic activities is already a partnership that is happening in Georgia for homeschoolers. Now hold on tight and let me provide an example, as this next suggestion may seem a bit outrageous. If Spelman College, based in Atlanta, has a large virtual learning population in Baltimore, they could network with UMBC or Morgan State, for example, to allow students to participate in social activities and events. ?A Spelman sorority leader can connect with a sorority leader at the Morgan chapter when they have an online pledge to allow their pledges to participate in hands-on activities during pledging. The Student Events Board from UMBC can connect with The Office of Student Life and Engagement at Spelman to allow their online students to participate with volunteerism. The opportunities are endless, and it would take a lot of time, networking, and approvals to make it happen. But how amazing would it be to extend these opportunities to our virtual learners?

EXTEND CAMPUS BASED RESOURCES On campus students receive a student id card that provides them with a host of on campus resources and discounts like their meal plan and access to the gym. Most institutions require on-campus residents to purchase a meal plan. Here is Bentley University’s view on mandatory meal plans: “We want to help them focus on learning, not whether they have food for dinner that night. Without a meal plan, differences in students’ ability to pay for food would add to these tensions. We would be concerned about students choosing not to eat or choosing inadequate meals due to their worries about buying food.” Doordash, GrubHub and UberEATS may offer discounts on memberships or free delivery when students sign up using a valid university email. However, going the extra mile to partner with these companies to create a meal plan will allow students to utilize these companies daily, creating more revenue for both the school and the company while increasing assurances that online students are eating regularly. If a Doordash meal plan could be purchased through the school and allows students to pay using their financial aid or the institution’s tuition payment plan, that could be the incentive that students need to choose your institution. While we focus on our students' nutrition, it's equally important to prioritize their physical well-being by offering similar opportunities through gym memberships. Planet Fitness and LA Fitness are located in a number of cities around the US but currently do not offer college student discounts, which presents an amazing opportunity to create something new and beneficial for our online learners.

CONCLUSION Talking is simple, but these five recommendations will require significant time, research, funds, manpower, and effort to persuade others to join in. But the benefits far outweigh the challenges and can change the way the world views online learning. People have the need to feel included, and for traditional students, college serves as a crucial transition into independence and self-discovery. It is a time when students cultivate their interests, form lasting relationships, and develop essential life skills. With online learning, students should be able to embark on this journey from the comfort of their own homes, allowing them to navigate their paths at their own pace without having the college experience diminished simply because they choose to be remote. Reach out to Higher Ed Consulting to initiate or further discuss strategies for enhancing the college experience with online learners.