Motivating Online Students: Practical Strategies for a One-Hour Course Tune-Up

Studies of online learning show that timely, authentic instructor feedback and visible participation in discussions are associated with higher engagement, stronger sense of belonging, and improved academic performance for online students. In addition, evidence related to “authentic” or real‑world tasks also indicates that students are more motivated when they can see how course concepts apply to their professional, personal, or community contexts.

Drawing on these findings, participants will work with concrete examples and leave the session with ready-to-use elements they can integrate into an upcoming course.

Following this session, participants will be able to:

*Evaluate student motivation techniques and determine methods that could work well in their online courses.

*Implement strategies for addressing student wellness in online classes, such as brief check-ins and normalizing help seeking, in ways that reduce anxiety and foster a greater sense of safety, belonging and motivation.

*Create a simple, sustainable plan for responding to students that outlines how often you will reply, the tone you will use, and the length of your communications.

*Explain how aligning assignments with a clear real world, workplace, or community application can significantly increase students’ motivation by helping them see the relevance and value of what they are learning.

Facilitated By: Lisa Hayward, AVP for Online Program Administration and Jeff Tunney, Associate Director, Center for Teaching & Learning Innovation.