How should teachers approach students with anxiety towards online learning?

I mentioned in an earlier blog why I wanted to discuss computer anxiety which was because I too have suffered from it.  This blog aims to help those with the same fears I have had in the online classroom.

Discussions on anxiety are not new in the teaching and learning field.  There have been many studies investigating student anxiety.  These studies have also extended into the numeracy field such as Boaler’s (2014) study on the relationship of timed tests and anxiety or Finlayson’s (2014) paper titled Addressing Math Anxiety in the Classroom.  E-learning is becoming more and more visible in education settings, so it is no surprise then that there also be studies investigating computer anxiety.

Before thinking about ways in which to address and deal with computer anxiety, we should first understand what it means.  Leso and Peck (as cited in Saade and Kira, 2009) define computer anxiety “as a feeling of being fearful or apprehensive when using or considering the use of a computer” (p. 179).  We may ask ourselves why someone would be fearful of using or thinking about using a computer.  Well, we could look at it the same as riding a bike for a first time.  If you have never ridden a bike, you would also feel somewhat apprehensive, maybe even a little scared at the thought of getting on that bike.  However, you try it anyway and yes, you are not good at it the first time, even the second or third.  By the fourth time though, you start feeling a little bit more confident and before you know it, you are riding that bike like a professional. 

Therefore, perhaps teachers should approach students in online classrooms suffering from anxiety using this analogy.  The students will become good with practice.  Simple, isn’t it?  There is only one slight issue.  It is an online environment so it is likely that there will be no face time with the teacher.  How then can the teacher deal with these students through cyber space?

I struggled to find research addressing this question however, I did find an article online by Michael Higley with a few suggestions.  Higley (2014) asserts that students with anxiety towards online learning need to feel a sense of connection because as we all know the online environment can be a very lonely place.  They also need to feel reassured and safe that they want to contribute in the online environment (Terry & Leppa; Hastie, Hung, Chen, & Kinshuk as cited in Higley 2014).  Higley goes on to further state that anxiety arises from a lack of interaction and that teachers need to provide a variety of communicative methods such as using discussion boards, forums and chat platforms.  Higley also emphasises that course design and structure is of extreme importance.  Time can be a factor in course development especially as online components in a course can often be added to existing plans and therefore Higley suggests collaboration among educators as a solution.

So basically it’s all about the teaching approach in the online environment that is key.  We have to adapt our teaching style, even our philosophies to suit this new learning environment.  It is without a doubt that e-learning is the new ‘fad’ in teaching and learning and as it develops so too will research and pedagogical approaches.  I am certain that in five years’ time, I would not struggle to find articles on ‘computer anxiety’ and how to deal with it.

Boaler, J. (2014). Research suggests that timed tests cause math anxiety. Teaching Children Mathematics 20(8), 469-474.

Finlayson, M. (2014). Addressing math anxiety in the classroom. Improving Schools 17(1), 99-115. doi:10.1177/1365480214521457

Higley, M. (2014, March 2014). e-Learning: Challenges and solutions. Retrieved from eLearning Indusry: http://elearningindustry.com/e-learning-challenges-and-solutions

Saade, R. G., Kira, D. & Nebebe, F. (2008). Computer anxiety in e-learning: The effect of computer self-efficacy. Journal of Information Technology Education, 177-191.