John Raffaeli

Virtual environments require the same relationship-structure as live environments.  It is imperative the professor establish credibility and authority, build relationships with students and be accessible, and encourage students to engage with one another in a structured manner.

In a virtual learning environment, it is critical to understand the various components that make up the LMS and interconnectivity and how they relate to the user experience.  This knowledge allows the teacher to tailor the course, modules, and lessons to best reflect learning objectives and creates as stress-free an environment as possible.

Motivating students' pragmatism through memorization and autodidactism with a healthy tolerance for risk is a strong formula for student success. The idea that students will have a solid foundation upon which to think differently and dissent from established norms should encourage the most useful form of creativity and personal accountability.

Diversity of content and delivery are key to maintaining subject matter interest.  Additionally, reflection must be employed during the course to actively keep material fresh, students engaged, and instructors inspired.  New approaches and the use of narrative can serve to personalize and energize students as the course approaches routineness.  This can reinvigorate students to recommit to the material and one another.

It is critical to humanize the learning environment and ensure that students continue to reflect their purpose for attaining higher education. While attending school - particularly while working - is a challenging endeavor, small, daily reminders regarding self-worth, achievement, or general levity can serve as a buffer against cognitive fatigue and mounting frustration.

Student retention boils down to the recognition and facilitation of intrinsic and extrinsic needs/motivations.  Students all seek validation and while some may be preoccupied with the social, cultural, or procedural dynamics of a learning environment, others will concern themselves with programmatic relevance, applicability, and outcomes.  This balance between diverse and often divergent foci is a delicate process requiring the instructor to both understand and remain attentive to the needs of each student.  The first order of operation is to facilitate a safe learning environment where students are comfortable expressing opinions, objectives, dissent, and unique learning requirements.  Following this, students must… >>>