What does it mean to humanize learning experiences?
Humanizing is a teaching strategy aimed at “improv[ing] equity gaps by acknowledging the fact that learning environments are not neutral; rather, they often operate to reinforce a worldview that minoritizes some students” (Pacansky-Brock et al., 2020, p. 1). It acknowledges that “engagement and achievement are social constructs developed through the background and experiences students bring” to higher education” (Pacansky-Brock et al., 2020, p. 1). Removing or minimizing the affective and cognitive barriers from learning experiences provides a more equitable learning space for all.
Social and teaching presence, and the strength of these relationships, are core aspects of humanizing learning. Establishing positive first impressions build trust between the instructor and students while building a culture of care in the learning environment. This can be achieved, in part, with welcoming visuals and warm communications (Pacansky-Brock et al., 2020, p. 2).
You can learn more about humanizing teaching and learning experiences in Pacansky-Brock et al.’s article wherein they explore various frameworks that inform and underpin humanized instruction; for example, validation theory, culturally responsive teaching, social presence, and universal design for learning (UDL) (p. 2).
Ways to humanize teaching and learning experiences
Pacansky-Brock et al. (2020) identifies six strategies to humanize teaching and learning experiences in online courses. However, many of these are useful in any course that have online resources:
- Liquid Syllabus – Open, student-centered, warm outline of course expectations which is made available to students prior to official start of semester; establishes potential connections with students early in the semester
- Adaptive Teaching – in week one, survey students to learn more about them and identify at risk students who might benefit from additional support
- Visually Appealing and Dynamic Homepage – first impressions to matter here, visually appealing homepages have positive affects on student’s motivation and engagement, keeping the homepage current during the semester indicates to students that you are paying attention to their learning progress
- Asynchronous Video Communications – brief (6-7 minute) videos with a personal tone are better received than, say, long lectures, they also help affirm a social (human) connection with learners
- Asynchronous Video Discussions – Encouraging students to discuss course topics using audio or voice recordings may benefit many students, providing a choice to write or speak in a discussion provides a more inclusive learning experience
- Wisdom Wall – this opportunity for students to provide feedback on content or an activity periodically throughout the semester allows them to be heard and provides instructors with useful data to inform future course design decisions. These are also known as exit cards or one-minute papers.
References
- Pacansky-Brock, M., Smedshammer, M., & Vincent-Layton, K. (2020). Humanizing online teaching to equitize higher education. Current Issues in Education, 21(2). http://cie.asu.edu/ojs/index.php/cieatasu/article/view/1905
Originally Published: August 8, 2024
Last Updated: August 8, 2024
