Empathy isn’t just a feeling—it’s a design principle. Adult learners often arrive with full lives, past educational experiences, and diverse learning needs. Online course design must reflect that reality.
In Motivating and Retaining Online Students, we emphasize designing with the whole learner in mind. This includes offering flexibility, choice, and opportunities to connect learning to real-world applications.
Key practices include:
- Offer varied assignment formats: Let students choose between writing a paper, recording a presentation, or building a project.
- Use inclusive language and examples: Acknowledge cultural, professional, and generational diversity.
- Design for mobile learning: Many adult learners use phones to access coursework on the go.
Online learners need to feel that their experiences and perspectives matter when design reflects empathy, and engagement increases.
Lehman, R. M., & Conceição, S. C. (2014). Motivating and Retaining Online Students: Research-Based Strategies That Work. Jossey-Bass.
What does empathy in design look like in your courses? Join us in the forum and let’s explore together.
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