Defining Connected Learning Environments
Relationships Matter
There is compelling evidence that relationships, sense of belonging, and connections improve student success. Decades of research point to the following:
"Relationships are the beating heart of the undergraduate experience."
Felton and Lambert, Relationship-Rich Education, 1
“People, far more than programs, majors, or classes, are decisive in students’ experiences of college. Without the motivating presence of friends, teachers, and mentors, even the best-designed, potentially most-valuable academic programs will fail. Time and again,... a single focused conversation with a professor about a student’s work, seemed to have an outsized impact on the student’s success.”
Daniel F. Chambliss and Christopher G. Takacs, How College Works(2014)
While this section will focus more the practical applications - what relation-rich education looks like - I also have some links and resources at the end of this document.
Defining Relationships and Connections
It is important that we define relationships. I don’t mean friendships. I don’t advocate for people crossing professional and personal boundaries that they set themselves. I personally do not give students my cell number or add them to my social media. And I’ve tried to limit myself to business hours for answering email, but I fail every time. We all set those boundaries ourselves. In fact, we don’t have to get “personal” in a traditional sense to develop strong relationships - we don’t have to, for example, know a lot about people’s home lives or where they went to high school.
What I do mean is something that Harriet Schwartz calls “intellectual mattering” (covered more in the video). The term comes from her book Connected Teaching, and it refers to the idea of students feeling heard and seen in the class, an expression of "I like the way you think."
Strong relationships are also a great example of equity in action - a practice that benefits all students, but has a greater impact on historically marginalized students. People from high-context cultural backgrounds where relationships are more important than transactional exchanges thrive in relation-ship rich classrooms and higher ed places. Think about first-generation students who are looking for people to help them navigate confusing processes - relationships are essential to their success.
Connecting with Students
When it comes to relationships, it is really easy for strong relationships to happen with some students, in some classes, some quarters. It is very human to connect with the students who show an interest, visit during office hours, turn in work, or participate in class - whatever you define as high engagement.
But, that is not good enough. We have to move from intuitive to intentional practices.
We can’t let the circumstances determine whether or not we try to connect with students. This is our goal and our challenge - how do we make strong relationships the norm? We can’t force positive relationships on students - even if it is for their own good - but we need to make room for all those looking for connection, and make room for all to connect with someone.
Where Do Students "Experience" the College?
Where relationships can develop between students and the college is complicated. There are a lot of different places/locations that students interact.
If we consider one of the first interactions that students have with SCC their application, then our website or perhaps in-person visits to the registration office. Those interactions may be followed by interactions with Financial Aid and Counseling staff. Later, students will spend time with faculty in classrooms, over Zoom, or online, as well as with their classmates. Additionally, students interact with the physical classrooms and campus, as well as online spaces. If they are on campus, they see posters in the hallways, and if they are on Canvas, they see announcements.
If you consider how much time students spend with these different areas of the college, it is clear that interacting with faculty is one of the best opportunities to create strong relationships. Unless things have gone significantly wrong, students spend more time with faculty than with staff. But, building a relationship-rich environment is the responsibility of the entire campus community, not just one group.