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Online education: how do you truly connect with your students?

Interview with Thérèse Onderdenwijngaard, programme coordinator for Organisation Sciences
You open your laptop and prepare for yet another online class. Slowly, the screens fill with the faces of your students - students you barely know. You ask a question, but your words seem to linger in a void. Even in the breakout rooms, there’s an awkward silence; no one seems to truly connect with each other.

Thérèse Onderdenwijngaard, programme coordinator for Organisation Sciences, knows this scenario all too well. Today, she shares how the COVID-19 pandemic and online education not only reshaped the dynamic between students and teachers but also led to a successful peer mentoring programme within the Faculty of Social Sciences (FSS).

“We didn’t even know who our first years were” 
Thérèse could hardly imagine how tough things were for the COVID-19 generation, and how the impact is still felt today. These students had to navigate a rapidly changing world without the usual support and guidance from the university. “We didn’t even know who our first years were”, she recalls. To this day, many teachers still find online education impersonal, and students often feel the same. 

The result? A lack of motivation and academic progress among students. Without personal interaction, questions remain unanswered, uncertainty grows, and students miss out on the feeling of truly being part of the university. “For first years, the lack of on-site contact made the transition to university life even harder. No one really knew how to handle this situation. One thing, however, was clear: teachers and students had to join forces to tackle it together.” 

Students learn the most from each other 
This realization led to the creation of the peer mentoring programme within FSS. Mentoring, where senior students guide and support new students, proved to be an effective way to bridge the gap and foster genuine connections. The programme has since become a core component of all five departments within the faculty. “It became evident that not only we as teachers but also our students needed to play a significant role in supporting their peers. They became experts by experience.”

One of these mentors is Daniël Wendt, a third-year Political Science student. “First-years often appreciate having someone from a higher year who understands how courses are structured and how to find your way”, Daniël explains. “If no one tells you about student associations, for instance, you might miss out on that experience altogether.”

The mentoring programme offers more than just practical support. It provides a social safety net and helps students connect with one another. “In one-on-one conversations, you can really see a bond forming, and that’s what makes it so valuable”, says Daniël. “It encourages students to ask deeper questions and share personal concerns.”

Portrait photo of Thérèse Onderdenwijngaard

Less workload for teachers, more time for connection
“A mentoring programme like this truly thrives when teachers and students work together”, Thérèse emphasises. “Back then, collaboration was still lacking. Truly a missed opportunity.” Thanks to the Students as Teachers project, teachers and student mentors can now work hand in hand. This collaboration not only makes student support more effective but also strengthens the bond between teachers and students, aligning education more closely with students’ actual needs. At the same time, it reduces the workload for teachers, allowing them to focus on their core responsibilities.

“Student mentors are also given real creative freedom by teachers to shape sessions in ways that suit their group’s needs”, Daniël explains. “After all, they know best what challenges their peers face”, Thérèse adds. New mentors start with training and are then supported by coordinators from the five departments. The programme also offers student mentors opportunities for growth, as Daniël experienced when he became a coordinator for Public Administration and Political Science.

Curious to see how this works in practice? Join​ ​Thérèse’s symposium on Thursday 19 December, and discover her vision for the future of peer mentoring.

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