Teaching Online in a Post‑COVID World: Reflections on Connection, Systems, and Learning

Teaching two fully online classes at two different universities has been an unexpectedly meaningful experience. I’ve taught hybrid courses and plenty of in‑person classes, but never exclusively online. I wasn’t sure if I would enjoy it—or if my students would—but it turned out to be both energizing and rewarding.

My students are scattered across the United States, which makes the learning environment wonderfully diverse. To help them build relationships across the distance, I’ve incorporated group work into their early‑semester activities. Group work isn’t always a fan favorite, but I structure these projects to be low‑stakes, collaborative, and reflective. Students also have the opportunity to assess one another, which helps them engage more deeply in the process.

A Systems‑Thinking Assignment for a Connected World

Right now, my students are evaluating systems within their own lives through the lens of General Systems Theory (GST). They’re examining boundaries, feedback loops, interdependence, and the broader patterns influencing the systems they interact with every day.

The assignment introduces students to General Systems Theory through both individual reflection and group collaboration: each student begins by posting a short introduction video describing a system they’ve chosen to explore, after which the group watches all videos, discusses the systems and the GST principles they reveal, and then works together to create a visual diagram showing each system and the connections between them, emphasizing interdependence, boundaries, and feedback; finally, the group records a two‑minute summary video explaining their chosen systems, how GST applies, and one key insight about interconnectedness.

Why This Matters: Connection in a Digital Classroom

Watching these groups work together has been one of the highlights of teaching online. I’m reminded of my own experience as a graduate student taking classes with Dr. Matis at TTU. Working through the Design of Experiments and statistical data analysis was far easier because I had a team. When I struggled, I had peers—actual human beings—to reach out to, not just the professor. That sense of community shaped the way I learned.

I want my students to have that same experience, even when they’re spread across time zones and computer screens. And they're rising to the challenge. Their discussions are thoughtful, their diagrams creative, and their early‑semester camaraderie is already taking shape. Soon, I’ll ask them to assess the process so I can gather feedback of my own—building my own feedback loop into the course design.

Post‑COVID Teaching Realities

Teaching after COVID comes with its own landscape. Students (and honestly, many of us) have shorter attention spans than before. To meet them where they are, I keep my instructional videos to 20 minutes or less. I also design assignments that require interaction rather than passive consumption. Nearly everyone can record some kind of video now—it doesn’t have to be perfect. The goal is to help them build confidence and literacy in the tools that the modern workplace (and modern learning) requires.

Looking Ahead

Online teaching has challenged me to rethink connection, communication, and collaboration. But it has also reaffirmed that learning—real learning—happens when people interact, share, question, and reflect. Whether in a classroom or through a webcam, that part hasn’t changed.

And watching these groups discover the interconnectedness of the systems around them? That’s the kind of early‑semester spark I’ll never get tired of.