May 6, 2019
an empty chair

It's very common for students to say that they feel like they're teaching themselves in an online course. As a faculty member, it's easy to get defensive when you hear a phrase like this.

You're there! You're helping! 

Don't they know about all of the work that goes into designing an online course, selecting the perfect resources, recording videos, etc??!

What about the feedback you provide? 

After you finish thinking about all of the ways the student is most definitely not teaching herself, you can start thinking about why she might be feeling that way. 

In this episode, I go over some of the changes you can make to improve the way the students experience your class.

One thing I didn't mention but should have: if students are saying this about your course, you should also make sure that you are showing up in a meaningful way for them. Here is a quick post I wrote with my student hat on about what it feels like when this doesn't happen. 


Listen to the "Teaching Myself" Episode


What do you do when students object to "teaching myself"? 

I'd love to hear your strategies or thoughts on the phrase. 



About Camille Freeman, DCN (she/her)

Hi there! I'm a clinical herbalist and nutritionist specializing in fertility and menstrual health. I run the Monday Mentoring community of practice and also offer continuing education programs for practicing herbalists and nutritionists (Check out this year's Deep Dive!). I'm also a former professor with the Maryland University of Integrative Health, where I taught physiology, pathophysiology, and mindful eating for 17 years. 

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