Dr Michelle Pacansky-Brock is a noted leader in higher education with expertise in online teaching, course design, and faculty development. Michelle’s work has helped online instructors across the USA understand how to craft relevant, humanised online learning experiences that support the diverse needs of college students. In her current role for the California Community Colleges, she coordinates statewide professional development in support of quality online teaching and learning and is leading an intersegmental California Learning Lab grant project that will examine the impact of humanised online instruction on diverse students in undergraduate online STEM courses in California. Learn more about Michelle at brocansky.com and connect with her on Twitter @brocansky.
Research shows a link between a caring online instructor and success in online courses. Humanising your online course involves establishing a positive educator-student relationship that supports the cognitive development of diverse students into independent learners.