Maslow's hierarchy of needs tells us one of the foundational levels of human need, along with physiological comfort and physical safety, is to "affiliate with others and feel accepted" . In fact, of the first four basic needs, the online environment can really only address two; the others being "to achieve, be competent; gain approval and recognition." The old criticism that online courses can feel sterile is horrifically true if there is a lack of interaction. Without "seeing" the presence of others, students feel isolated, frustrated and lonely, according to research . The fact that online courses are popular for their asynchronous, "anytime/anywhere" convenience means some students will log in consistently after work at 1am PST when it is most convenient to their schedule, and find that literally there is no other student in the "room". Establishing a warm and interactive environment during the first week of class helps ...
Musings from an online instructor