Engaging learners by supporting their emotional needs during COVID-19 and crisis situations

ABSTRACT

Professors and language teachers realize that their job in supporting students' academic learning goals requires faculty to show more support and full dedication during times of uncertainty and the COVID-19 pandemic. The question that imposes itself then is how educators can manage this sudden transition since teaching remotely for an emergency need is not the same as teaching online in regular times. Many educators and learners were not ready to have their entire courses delivered online at the beginning of COVID-19 lockdown. Some students might never have taken an entire online course and felt uncertain about this new online experience. Teachers aimed to enhance students' engagement by creating supportive online learning environments. This chapter focuses on providing instructors with effective strategies to promote learners' engagement in online classes by allowing learners to express their emotions freely. This will lead to enhancing their cognitive presence and engagement in these online classes. © Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2021. All rights reserved.