Human Connection, Storytelling & the Online Classroom Experience
In-Person
Abstract
Online education can be challenging for students and instructors alike. In this session, we will talk about two podcasts built specifically to support the online educational experience. Two different resources from two different perspectives to help faculty and students succeed online.
What makes these podcasts impactful isn’t the format specifically, but more so the storytelling.
When prospective and existing students hear real students, faculty, and employers speak honestly about challenges, growth, outcomes, and what it truly takes to succeed as an online learner, it builds trust in a way traditional methods may not. When instructors hear colleagues share what's working and what isn't in their own online teaching, it often hits home more so than a workshop or a reading. Audio and video storytelling creates human connections in a way that text-heavy digital environments rarely do and that is exactly what is needed throughout the online experience. In this session, we’ll share how we built these resources, why we made the choices we did, and how faculty can use and recommend them right now. We’ll also explore why authentic human connection matters even more in the age of AI, and how the same storytelling principles can scale down into your own courses through simple tactics like a short, recorded interview with a former student, a casual conversation with a guest, or a brief audio reflection.
Utilizing resources already available at USU, faculty will learn about how they too can use storytelling with minimal effort to create more meaningful connections in online classes.
Presenters
Jennifer Grewe
Associate Professor
Dr. Jennifer Grewe is an Associate Professor of Psychology at Utah State University, where she directs the Connections first-year experience program and co-directs the Undergraduate Psychology Program. Her work sits at the intersection of teaching, mentoring, and student development. She has spent her career building inclusive, evidence-based mentoring and teaching structures that support students across the full arc of their college experience from the first semester all the way through research, leadership, and professional preparation.
Jenn teaches General Psychology and has two new courses launching soon: The Science of Happiness, a general education course grounded in psychology research, and The Authentic Aesthetic, a co-taught depth course exploring the intersection of design and psychology. She is also the creator of A Curious Learning Curve, a podcast focused on instructor presence and student engagement in the online classroom. She mentors undergraduate students in research and leadership, and her students regularly present their work at local, regional, and national conferences. She's also a longtime faculty advisor for USU's Psi Chi chapter and an active member of the Society for the Teaching of Psychology.
Amy Carpenter
Learning Design Lead
Amy Carpenter leads the Online Learning Design team at Utah State University, where she oversees a staff of learning designers who support faculty in creating engaging, interactive, and accessible online courses. With over 15 years of experience in higher education as both an instructor and course designer, she has supported instructors and students through major shifts in the online education landscape and is passionate about providing a quality education for students, no matter where they are. Her team focuses on creating meaningful learning experiences through intentional course design, instructor presence, and authentic learning experiences.
Emory Bradshaw
Marketing Intern
Emory Bradshaw Walsh is the USU Online Marketing Intern. Emory has a strong academic and professional foundation, currently pursuing a double major in Marketing and Business. Emory completed her associate degree while still in high school, demonstrating an early commitment to leadership, discipline, and academic excellence.
At USU Online, Emory has played a key role in several high-impact initiatives, including producing the student-facing podcast, collaborating across academic units and departments, helping relaunch Online social media channels, and supporting the ongoing USU Online rebrand. Her work focuses on strengthening student connection, elevating the online learner experience, and helping communicate the value of online education in a more modern, student-centered way.