Importance of social connection

About This Video

Now, finally, social connection. I remember about 12 years ago I took a course on e-learning in the 21st century. This is before it was as common as before or as it is now. And one of the things that really, really stood out and I have never forgotten is that when it comes to an educational environment, there are sort of three things that have to be there. One is the content, what you're actually learning. Another is the instruction or the instructor, the person who's delivering that information. But the third component is a social connection or that social environment. Now when you are in a room together, that's your social environment. So you are already setting it just by sitting amongst other people. When you translate into an online environment or a virtual teaching environment, that's. Where it changes? Because that is not automatic and it needs to be built. Yes, you might still have content and yes, you might have an instructor, but you don't always have that social connection. And I have a feeling that most of us have been in a situation where we felt 0 connection and it really does diminish the quality. So when you can be split into these small groups. You can have. These conversations and it does give you the opportunity to feel like you are engaged with another person on that smaller level. Now that we've shifted primarily to virtual contact and Zoom meetings, we are spending a lot of time in the meeting, but not necessarily those small moments bef