Earning your degree online doesn’t mean sacrificing a personalized connection and support from your instructors. With a strong learning environment cultivated with care, active communication, mutual participation, and personalized feedback from dedicated instructors, online students are still able to thrive with the flexibility of learning from anywhere.
At SDSU Global Campus, online student support is the cornerstone of what we do.
“I try to let students know I’m really here for them, not just grading assignments. I respond quickly, give personal feedback, and check in when I see someone struggling,” said SDSU Global Campus Computer Science Instructor Magda Tsintsadze. “Even online, I want them to feel like they’re not learning alone but that I’m paying attention to their progress and cheering them on.”
Communication is key and building personal relationships with instructors or classmates is essential to proactive learning. Attending instructor office hours, introducing yourself, staying curious and asking questions, and learning from personalized feedback are crucial in online learning to best utilize available resources. Cultivating relationships with instructors makes reaching out with questions less intimidating, enhances learning outcomes, and provides networking opportunities with high-level professionals in your field.
“The online format allows you to listen to the lectures on your schedule and complete the assignments with easy access. I could email instructors and get a quick response, and often just pick up the phone to call them. They were always available; I felt like I was their only student. It was truly a personalized program. If there was something I was struggling with in a lecture or assignment, I could easily get my questions answered and get back on track. For professionals with established careers in the industry, the flexible online format is a much better way to learn,” said SDSU Global Campus graduate Brad Gessner.
Creating Personalized Learning Opportunities
Every student learns differently, and instructors know this better than anyone. Creating personalized learning opportunities for online learners helps cater to their schedule, needs, and fosters a relationship between instructors and students.
“In my online courses, I try to engage in meaningful interactions with students to help make them feel seen and supported. Specifically, I often will respond thoughtfully to student posts, making personal and professional connections to their responses. I often provide detailed and personalized feedback on assignments, have regular office hours, and make myself available via email. I think something else I do to foster a sense of connection is posting weekly check-in videos that introduce upcoming topics and assignments, and I typically will share an example of why the topic is important in my line of work, just to give it a personal feel,” said SDSU Global Campus Public Health instructor Linda Salgin.
“I had a student who was very new to the world of public health and was struggling with some of the major concepts needed to succeed in the course. She was very proactive in reaching out to me, so I dedicated a few extra hours to sharing some important public health theories, resources, and examples with her that could support her learning. She ended up doing really well in the course and sent me a personal email saying, “I learned so much this term, and I will carry it with me wherever I go. Stay in the course! Students need you,” Salgin said.
Instructor Support Helps Online Students Excel
Whether learning online or in person, every student faces challenges and troubling situations halting their progress. Yet many online students often feel especially lost when encountering struggles. Still, instructors remain your biggest supporters in your academic journey, even virtually, and are there to offer support every step of the way.
“Don’t struggle in silence. Reach out as soon as you feel stuck, stay consistent with your study habits, and remember that every challenge is part of the learning process. The students who succeed are the ones who ask questions, stay engaged, and keep going even when the work feels tough,” Tsintsadze said.
While online learning can often feel isolating at times, building an academic community online is possible and even more essential to offer and receive support with your classmates.
“The experience with my classmates was great. We stay in touch to this day. I am part of a community; I felt supported throughout the program and continue to have great relationships with the faculty and mentors,” said SDSU Global Campus graduate Milagros Sequera Huss.
Online learning isn’t just busy work through a screen; it is a flexible, affordable, and personalized way of continuous education that leverages students’ long-term professional development. Whether your goal is a high-level leadership position, higher earning potential, a smooth career transition, or enhancing your professional performance, getting your education online is the key to unlocking a world of opportunity. With instructors who support your personal and professional development and have your best interests at heart, succeeding in an online environment has never been easier.
