Use the FORCE to Create Sociability and Connect with Online Students

The Covid pandemic resulted in many higher education classes shifting to online instruction in the middle of a term and many institutions stayed online at least in part for several terms. Students taking these online courses did not choose to shift their modality and many would not have chosen an online over a face-to-face class. The purpose of this study was to identify facilitation strategies that resonated with students in classes that shifted online at one higher education institution, identifying which strategies increased motivation to learn and perceived course satisfaction. Additionally, students were asked what strategies helped them connect and trust their online instructors. We present the results of three open-ended questions on a large scale cross-sectional survey (N=739). Five themes emerged: Feedback, Organization, Response time, Communication, Empathy. We discuss how instructors can use the FORCE to create sociability and connect with their online students.