by Jen Propp

Few things are more meaningful to an educator than making a connection with their student. That a-ha moment where you lock eyes as they clearly understand a critical concept of a lecture is an important part of the classroom experience. What happens, then, when instructors can no longer see that lightbulb moment or engage with their students face-to-face? The answer to that question certainly varies from educator to educator but there seems to be one constant-instructors want to see their students in one way or another, especially in our current shift to mainly virtual learning.

First, let me say to each faculty member reading this – I hear you. I hear your frustrations and understand the detachment you may feel as you stare at a screen filled with black squares and names but hardly any faces. While acknowledging how we feel about worrisome situations is important, it’s perhaps even more critical to not only figure out a way to engage with students even if they aren’t showing their smiling faces while we also explore why those same students might be hiding in the first place.

So why are students reluctant to turn on their cameras and bond with their instructors and fellow classmates? I discussed this with three students and while their answers varied a bit there were some universals in their responses.

I felt self-conscious about how I looked and other students weren’t doing it either so I would have felt awkward.

I only turn on my camera during tests when it’s required because I don’t feel like it’s necessary otherwise. I can learn without being on camera. I also feel like I don’t always look presentable. Some people might also not want strangers seeing into their rooms/houses.

Sometimes the space around me is messy and I don’t want people to see. It’s also easier for people to take pictures and videos of you without your consent and you would never know. And sometimes it’s just awkward. everyone can see you at all times so it feels weird to drink/eat/ do anything because everyone can always see you.

In addition to specific student concerns, it’s important to keep in mind equity issues like race, gender, and class as these go hand-in-hand with camera usage when holding a synchronous class meeting. The playing field is leveled in the face-to-face classroom with no variations in backgrounds, no glimpses into students’ personal lives. On the virtual side of higher education, not everyone has the ideal background and not everyone has the technology to create the illusion they do.

Backgrounds notwithstanding, living conditions are not always ideal, nor does every student have access to their own personal laptop or computer. Students very well may be embarrassed of their homes and how they live in general. They may also have to take turns with the “good” laptop, sharing it with their siblings or even their parents.

What can educators do, above and beyond requiring or simply asking students to turn on their cameras, when trying their very best to engage with their students in a virtual setting?

The first thing we can do is consider the alternatives as we examine our own biases and discomfort surrounding this issue. Ask yourself-why is this such a sticking point in your courses?

Trust your students to do the work and learn the content even if you cannot see their faces. They are adults so shouldn’t that trust be there, no matter the method of delivery?

Learn to trust your students to be in charge of their own bodies, spaces and learning.

Finally, employ techniques not related to turning on the webcam to engage with your students as you encourage them to do the same with you and their fellow classmates.

Urge, or even require, students to use the chat feature, utilize breakout rooms to take the focus off the educator as students work on projects, work out problems, or respond to scenarios as they develop their own sense of community with one another.

Go “old school” by calling on your students by name, putting them on the spot a bit. If some don’t respond or clearly don’t have a coherent answer to your question, then perhaps it’s time for a one-on-one with those who have disconnected so that you can find a way to connect with them, to discover what reaches them so that you can bridge the gap that online education can create between instructor and student.

Mix up the multimedia. Show a video and require students to participate in a discussion about the video’s main points based on questions you’ve prepared beforehand. And that is the common thread throughout these tips. Be prepared to change how you’ve always done things because if the pandemic has taught us anything, it’s that evolving as educators while listening to our students needs is paramount to their overall success.