Great suggestion.

As a suggestion to keep connecting with each other, an information chat session weekly, to give student an opportunity to connect vie MS teams or Zoom, a video call, which the tutor can attend to support reflection or support discussions, share work experience that links to studies. The key that is is informal, not compulsory and a safe space to connect.

Coffee morning, or afternoon tea check-in? Have options of morning or evening opportunities, to give al students a chance to attend.

Hello all, Both of these are good Ideas. 

I think that a large part of a successful course is how it is written. Generally most courses are written well and appeal to their target audience. However many of these courses do not seem to pay as much attention to the phrasing of tasks or essay questions.  When phrasing these tasks or questions, more attention needs to be taken to be more inclusive of neurodiversity. This is especially important online as the learner doesn't always have access or immediate access to help with looking at and breaking down what the task/question is asking them. I know of many learners that are highly capable, but dropped out of courses due to this factor. 

I ensure that I check in with my trainees at various points through a course to ensure that they're coping, for reassurance or for them to raise any issues they've encountered. I encourage them to contact me directly via email or Teams at any point before, during or after the course. The feedback I've received suggests that they appreciate having this option. This would not work in a larger scale learning environment, but for my group of up to 20, it seems to work well.

Really good suggestions above. 

I have been thinking on the nature of online courses which often involve heavy reading and reflection. Perhaps one way that online educators can support students' wellbeing is by integrating reminders or prompts for mindfulness activities every few chapters/sections or so. Personally, I get quite stuck in when I'm studying that I sometimes forget I've been sat down, staring at the screen for hours. I think a simple cue, even if it's just a short note or a link to a mindfulness activity added in an activity section, can be helpful in reminding students to take a few minutes break from the digital world. This practice can potentially benefit student wellbeing.

I have seen this work well. Students could elect to have more frequent 1:1 catch up sessions. There was also a more informal tea and talk that was well attended.

To enhance student well-being in online education, I will encourage open communication and promote collaboration.

Hello to you all,

There are so many amazing suggestions. I doubt I need to add any more. Let  me see.

Two suggestions spring to mind:

1. A type of pomodoro technique organised by learners, for learners who struggle with time management.

2. At least one scheduled tutorial designed as part of the learning process. Therefore making it synchronous, or somewhat synchronous.