​Facilitating Community in Virtual Spaces

My Role: Lead UX Design Instructor
Duration:  1 year
Number of cohorts:  4
Team make-up: Fellow instructor, 2 assistant teachers

Overview
Moving into the COVID-19 pandemic, I faced the challenge of fostering connection and engagement in a remote UX Design Immersive (UXDI) program. By collaborating with students to establish shared values, introducing small group dynamics for consistent collaboration, and adjusting communication tools to encourage spontaneity, I helped create a more cohesive and supportive learning environment. These efforts resulted in increased student engagement, stronger teamwork, and improved communication—outcomes that reflect my focus on empathy, adaptability, and collaborative problem-solving as a leader.

When the World Shrinks to 13 Inches: A Community Fractured

​When COVID-19 forced the shift to remote learning, the UX Design Immersive (UXDI) program faced an unprecedented challenge: how to maintain a sense of community when the classroom was reduced to a 13-inch screen. For students, every interaction felt like a performance, with the constant gaze of their peers increasing self-consciousness. Many chose to disengage, turning off their cameras and ultimately isolating themselves. Those who disconnected entirely struggled to form friendships, and judgment towards others grew more common.
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For me that my fellow instructors, the challenge was equally daunting. Body language, once a vital tool for gauging class dynamics, became nearly invisible. Faces on screen were too small for meaningful eye contact, and the spontaneity of in-person interaction gave way to rigid ceremony. Every moment required planning, leaving no room for organic connection. The result was a fractured sense of unity and a widening gap between students and instructors.

Finding the Class Personality: A Charter for Belonging

The lack of unity at the start of the remote program left the cohort in disarray. As my fellow instructor finished his own class and joined mine, overlapping cohorts and inconsistent engagement standards only exacerbated the problem. To address this, we turned to a fundamental UX principle: understanding user needs.

Using an affinity mapping exercise, students were asked to share their values and aspirations. Four core themes emerged from their responses, each supported by actionable commitments:

• RESPECT: Prioritized clear, kind communication and openness to diverse perspectives.
• REACH: Focused on self-driven learning, active engagement, and hands-on practice.
• REST & RECHARGE: Encouraged self-care, mindfulness, and reorientation towards growth.
• REJOICE!: Celebrated failure as a learning opportunity and championed each other’s successes.

This charter became the class’s guiding document, giving students a collective identity. It fostered mutual respect and accountability while creating a shared sense of purpose. As an instructor, this process helped me see the students as individuals with unique personalities, deepening my connection with them.

Breaking Down the Walls: Encouraging Spontaneity Through Technology

Communication tools in the remote setup created additional barriers. Slack, used for formal announcements, felt too rigid for spontaneous interaction. Zoom’s chat feature, initially disabled, further discouraged casual conversations. This lack of levity left the virtual classroom feeling sterile and impersonal.

To address this, we re-enabled Zoom chat for real-time, ephemeral communication. Students used it to share jokes and commentary during lessons, fostering a sense of camaraderie. Slack remained the space for structured, persistent conversations. The temporal nature of Zoom chat allowed humor and personality to flourish without cluttering official communication.

Rather than becoming a distraction, the chat feature increased engagement. Students felt more at ease, and humor made lessons feel less intimidating. There were moments we had to rein things in, but overall, this simple adjustment helped humanize the learning experience.

Tables of Four: Building Micro-Communities in the Digital Classroom

Large group dynamics can be intimidating, especially in virtual settings. Students often hesitated to share ideas or critique each other’s work, leading to inefficiency and a lack of personal connection. To counteract this, I introduced consistent breakout rooms, or “tables,” for each project. These rooms, consisting of 4–5 students, remained stable throughout the program.

Visiting these tables during critique sessions, I witnessed personal and meaningful conversations. Students became comfortable providing constructive feedback, and some groups excelled so much that they set an example for the entire class. One standout group demonstrated exceptional collaboration and kindness, influencing how other students approached teamwork.
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By fostering these micro-communities, we created spaces where students could thrive, support one another, and build lasting connections.

Humanizing the Instructors: A More Accessible Team

​Initially, the instructional team’s workflow relied heavily on a “Teachers’ Lounge”--a virtual space where instructors could collaborate privately. While this helped us manage our workload, it unintentionally distanced us from the students. They hesitated to reach out, viewing us as inaccessible.

Recognizing this, we made a significant change: instructors stayed in the main Zoom room to be available for questions. This shift created a shared space where students felt more comfortable approaching us. Some even lingered in the main room during individual work, engaging in lighthearted, trivial conversations. These interactions broke down barriers, fostering trust and approachability.
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Over time, I realized the importance of being present. Even informal exchanges built stronger relationships, reinforcing that we were part of the same team, invested in their success.

A Lesson for the Future: Remote Can Be Relational

​This experience taught me that remote environments don’t have to feel disconnected. Through intentional design, we created a classroom that was not only functional but relational. By understanding and addressing the needs of students—and balancing structure with spontaneity—we fostered a sense of belonging even in a digital space.
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The key lessons? Empathy and adaptability are just as critical in remote teaching as they are in UX design. With the right strategies, community can thrive, no matter how far apart we may be.