Beyond Content: The Value of Instructor-Student Connections in the Online Classroom

Research clearly establishes the value of online education to foster students' cognitive understanding of course material. However, engagement in the learning experience requires more than mere acquisition of new knowledge; to be fully engaged in the learning process, students must also connect with their peers and instructor in a meaningful way. The purpose of this study is to examine the value of instructor-personalized audio lectures as means of fostering students' engagement with course content and the online learning experience. Qualitative data on the student experience found that instructor-personalized audio lectures enhanced students' perceptions of value and engagement; quantitative data using a standardized engagement measure revealed no significant differences. Students' qualitative feedback about their online learning experience indicated that instructor-personalized audio lectures fostered greater student-instructor connections and significantly impacted the likelihood of students' engaging with course material. Recognizing the value of student engagement for ongoing satisfaction and retention in online learning programs, findings suggest that the creation of personalized audio lectures provides an efficient and effective means for faculty to positively impact students' online learning experience.