Centering the People in Online Courses

Faculty who teach online know that it comes with distinct benefits, with the ability to reach learners who might not otherwise have access to your course prominent among them.

But as meaningful as that is, the logistical challenges online teaching can present means we don’t necessarily think of it as a “joyful” exercise, particularly in those courses with limited live interaction between instructor and students.

An author and longtime advocate for online teaching, Flower Darby has written a new book titled The Joyful Online Teacher: Finding Our Fizz in Asynchronous Classes. It has much to offer anyone teaching in the online modality, whether your course is entirely on-demand or features regular live sessions.

Key Topics Discussed:

• The turning point with a student that reshaped Flower’s approach to online teaching
• Drawing on positive psychology’s PERMA theory of well-being to create a better online learning environment
• Why being a “joyful” teacher entails something different than surface-level happiness
• The importance of introducing energy to and generating energy in online classrooms
• The impact instructors can have on students by doing simple things like knowing their names and genuinely responding to what they’ve said
• Why Flower believes instructors bringing their full selves into their asynchronous classes is the most effective way to counter unethical uses of AI
• Finding creative ways to connect with students and lean into what gives you joy as a teacher to improve their experience and your own

Guest Bio: Flower Darby is an associate director of the Teaching for Learning Center at the University of Missouri, an author, and a keynote speaker. She’s taught in higher ed for more than 30 years in subjects ranging from psychology to jazz dance. Her latest book is The Joyful Online Teacher: Finding Our Fizz in Asynchronous Classes, which is part of the Teaching, Engaging, and Thriving in Higher Ed Series at the University of Oklahoma Press edited by Designed for Learning host Jim Lang and Michelle Miller.

Resources Mentioned:

• Flower’s New Book: The Joyful Online Teacher: Finding Our Fizz in Asynchronous Classes (University of Oklahoma Press)
• PERMA Theory of Well-Being
• Sarah Rose Cavanagh’s Book: The Spark of Learning (West Virginia University Press)
• Flower’s Website
• Flower’s LinkedIn
• Episode Transcript

Designed for Learning is hosted by Jim Lang, a professor of the practice in Notre Dame Learning’s Kaneb Center for Teaching Excellence and the author of several influential books on teaching. The podcast is produced by Notre Dame Learning’s Office of Digital Learning. For more, visit learning.nd.edu/podcast. You can also follow Notre Dame Learning on LinkedIn.