1 - An open letter to my students

Dear students,

Your role is changing. In the past, you could rely on the structure of being on campus, having to go to class, playing sports, joining clubs, having meetings, meeting at coffee shops to work, going to parties, etc.

Many of you have expressed that being a virtual learner is hard. You don't feel engaged. You don't feel motivated. You're distracted. You miss the in-person experience.

As someone who has spent a fair amount of my life as a student, I get it. I've registered for at least three Coursera courses that I did not complete. I thrive on interpersonal interaction, and moreover, the structure that comes with requiring my body to be parked in various but specific locations throughout the day.

The bad news: this fall, the majority of your classes will be mostly or entirely virtual.

The good news: online learning (really thoughtful online learning) can be a great way to learn! 

Let's reframe - you can do this effectively. You are going to have to think differently about your role as a student. I'm sorry that you have to. It's not "fair". I wish you could just sort of continue to float through college doing what you know. But the cold hard fact is that you can't. You have a new responsibility to learn to be an effective online learner.

I want to help you with this. I want to help give you the tools to think about how to approach your schoolwork so that you can learn to love online learning.

In this series, I'll address some different things that may help you to reframe your role and improve your experience as a virtual learner.

It’s a new world for faculty too! I'm using lots of these tools myself as I create coursework in an online environment, thinking about ways to connect to your purpose as students and to help you see the relevance of your education. So I'm right here with you.

Becoming an effective online learner is directly relevant to your own professional and personal development! The more skills you develop as a virtual student, the better prepared you will be to join an organization that operates virtually. You will learn about yourself - what motivates you and how you work most effectively. You can bring that to any job, any team, or any organization and demonstrate that it is a significant reason why you should be hired and promoted!

So.... join me! Post comments and questions. Let's discuss. Share your wins and what works. Share what doesn't and what frustrates you.

My rules: Be Kind, Be Thoughtful, Be Curious.

Let's learn to be learners!