Why meaningful interaction with students still matters

An increasing number of students have ditched attending campus lectures. There are ample examples of instructors in large lecture rooms talking to a dozen students or less rather than the 200 enrolled.

Does it really matter if students don’t attend lectures in person on campus? Are on-campus lectures genuinely an effective teaching and learning methodology? Do they actually encourage students to think and understand rather than memorise and regurgitate a stack of information?

There have always been instances of students choosing not to attend on-campus lectures. Reasons include conflicting work or family commitments, difficulty making it to class at the designated time, and finding the one-way delivery boring and a waste of time. Some rely on friends to share their lecture notes, and others make the decision to just attend the smaller accompanying tutorials and workshops, which they deem to be more meaningful.

The impact of the pandemic

While there are already notable alternative worthwhile approaches out there to the long-standing, didactic, large lecture-based teaching method where an instructor talks for an hour or so while the students sit passively, the catalyst to challenging the standard approach and the non-return of students to on-campus classes on a greater scale was COVID-19.

Academics and students alike had to rapidly learn and adopt a new way (for many) of working and learning remotely. And the post-pandemic era has seen online teaching and learning become a fundamental part of higher education. It became obvious that online delivery provided convenience and flexibility.

It meant students could learn at their own pace, in their own time, and from wherever they happened to be. The result – as has also been the case with office workers around the globe – has been students averse to returning to a wholly on-campus experience.

Some institutions have adopted a blend of on-campus with online delivery, while others have maintained mostly on-campus offerings but have increased their online programme offerings to provide students with some choice. Others have abandoned face-to-face mass lectures altogether and offer only online tutorials and workshops.

These are complemented by various study materials, such as PowerPoint slides, videos, readings, activities, etcetera, that students are assigned and expected to engage with in advance of the provision of designated related online tutorials.

Time in the tutorials is intended to be spent on posing and answering questions, providing feedback, engaging in discussions, and ensuring students have grasped an understanding of the concept or topic.

A focus on quality

In 2025, almost every university offers online learning options in some form or other. But whereas many had to adapt very quickly and not as strategically as they may have wanted during the COVID pandemic, institutions now are giving more careful consideration to ensuring that the development and delivery of online teaching and learning experiences are of good quality, engaging, and effective.

Basically, the same principles of good curriculum design, development and delivery must apply to what is being offered in online mode. That comprises online teaching, including interactive strategies. Students want a sense of belonging to a learning community and one in which they are well supported.

It is not enough, as was often the case during the pandemic, to simply replicate the face-to-face lecture with an asynchronous version of it or to provide students with a stack of content to make sense of. Synchronous live sessions via video conferencing are becoming a well-used standard approach and go some way to maintaining student motivation and encouraging their engagement in the learning process.

However, there are several accompanying straightforward ways subject coordinators can help reduce the feeling of disconnect or isolation online learners sometimes experience. These include:

• Posting a welcome video and introduction to the teaching team.

• Featuring online discussion forums where students can talk and collaborate with each other and post questions and comments.

• Scheduling a regular video meeting time each week for any students who have questions or concerns or who simply want to chat about a particular issue related to the course.

• Scheduling targeted video meetings to discuss assessment feedback outcomes.

• Logging in 10-15 minutes prior to the commencement of the live video class as an opportunity to engage informally with students.

• Incorporating video chat windows where students are asked to provide responses to questions posed during class.

The need for institutional support

The above represent just a few simple ‘getting started’ suggestions. There are numerous other meaningful innovative online teaching-learning strategies instructors can employ to facilitate self-directed learning and engage students in collaborative learning opportunities.

However, individual instructors can only succeed in their efforts if they are backed by the institution having sound structures, systems, processes and support in place, demonstrating its commitment to providing quality online learning.

The latter includes having:

• Sound policies, processes and guidelines in place to ensure well-functioning online education.

• The requisite staff expertise to design and deliver quality online education.

• The provision of ongoing professional development for staff in developing and delivering quality online education.

• A community of shared practice among instructors where early adopters share samples of successful online study programmes or activities.

• Appropriately skilled administrative support staff, including ICT support for online students.

• A clear, informative website for online education students.

• Academic learning study skills support services for online students.

In closing, the same principle exists in the online learning environment as in any learning environment, namely, it is still about ensuring students receive a meaningful quality learning experience that assists them to succeed.

Dr Nita Temmerman has held senior university positions, including pro vice-chancellor (academic quality and partnerships) and executive dean in Australia. She is an invited accreditation specialist with the Hong Kong Council for Accreditation of Academic and Vocational Qualifications and an international associate with the Center for Learning Innovations and Customised Knowledge Solutions in Dubai. She is chair of two higher education academic boards and an invited professor and consultant to universities in Australia, the Pacific region, Southeast Asia and the Middle East.

This article is a commentary. Commentary articles are the opinion of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of University World News.