Scroll Less, Talk More: Humanizing the Online Learning Experience

In online learning environments, students often spend more time scrolling through content than engaging with their peers. While we know that human connection�"not just information�"is the key to deeper academic engagement, is it possible to build these relationships in a scripted online setting like a college course? In this session, we’ll explore what it means to “scroll less and talk more” in the context of online learning and how this shift can support our students’ persistence, motivation, and success.

Participants will explore a range of communication tools�"both within Canvas and external platforms�"with a focus on strategies that encourage authentic student-to-student connection. Special attention will be given to ways we can replicate the informal spaces where meaningful peer relationships form in face-to-face classes. Attendees will leave with flexible, scalable ideas for building online student communities that support learning in the online classroom and beyond.

Ryan Hitch is an Instructional Specialist in Distance Education at Chaffey College and a long-time English instructor in the California Community College system. With nearly ten years of experience at institutions like Saddleback, Norco, and Cerritos Colleges, he specializes in online pedagogy, accessibility, and equity. He contributed to the OER textbook How Arguments Work and regularly leads professional development on accessible course design and regular substantive interaction. As a former community college student, Ryan brings a practical, student-centered approach to humanizing the online learning experience.