In social support literature, there are three types of social support networks: informational, instrumental, and emotional.¹ All networks are reflective of relationships. Informational social support networks are relationships through which information is disseminated. Instrumental social support networks are relationships that provide direct and tangible support—whether that be through actions or physical resources.  And, emotional social support networks are relationships through which one or both parties receive feedback, commiseration, a kind listening ear, or guidance. As teaching assistants and faculty, we can cultivate these social support networks in our virtual learning environments.

In his 1943 article, Maslow introduces a theory for human motivation by proposing that there are five needs all humans aim for.  These needs are often represented as a pyramid, with the most basic more towards the base. Once basic needs are met, individuals are freed up and able to work towards achieving more complex needs. Basic needs include physiological requirements, safety, and security. More complex needs include those that are psychological, such as feelings of belongingness, love, and esteem.  Finally, self-fulfillment needs are the most complex.  These are indicated through behaviors that facilitate self-actualizing or achieving one’s full potential.  Education would fall under self-fulfillment or self-actualization needs. Therefore, for a student to have the potential to fully achieve in their education, they must have their physiological, safety, and psychological needs met.

[Image Description: Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs, with self-actualization at the top, followed by esteem needs, belongingness & love needs, safety needs, and physiological needs at the bottom.]

Pictured: Always a good thing to remind yourself of, both for yourself and your students

Needs are not met in a vacuum, however. Humans are social animals and our needs are met through social support networks—interpersonal, organizational, and governmental to name a few. Research has found that 7 of the top reasons students withdraw during their freshman year have to do with the lack of various types of social support.² Failing to find compatible friends, the out of town location of the campus, lack of appropriate accommodations for learning, lack of connection with tutors, lack of a support structure, lack of connection with shared identity groups, and lack of support with bereavement were all factors for students leaving in their first year.

During the current COVID-19 pandemic, a time of social distancing and remote learning, it is particularly important to help students connect with others to mitigate feelings of loneliness, hopelessness, and the challenges of learning on one's own.

As a teaching assistant or faculty member, there are a few ways we can facilitate the social support networks needed for students to meet their basic needs and psychological needs. This, in turn, will allow students to focus on their self-actualization and education. The following are some examples of how we can provide informational, instrumental, and emotional social support to our students.  I am a sociologist, and as sociologists do, I have also coded each response to indicate which level of Maslow’s hierarchy of needs it satisfies.

Informational

• Resource email: Send out an email overviewing resources on campus that students can turn to for basic needs like Health Services, CAPS.  (Basic Needs)
• And, since we are learning remotely, it is also good to share links to student groups that students can become engaged with to develop a social support network: freshman mentoring, LGBT Resource Center, undocumented student resources, Underground Scholars, student-parent organizations,  Women’s Resource Center, EOP, first generation student groups, Asian Pacific Student Programs, Chicano Student Programs,  African Student Union, and Native American Students Program. (Basic and Psychological Needs)

Instrumental

• Create an environment for students to informally interact: GroupMe is a great app where students can create a network of classmates within a particular class. It allows students to bridge ties across discussion sections and share struggles and learning strategies. Some do have concerns about the potential for cheating, but I find that this can be mitigated with proper test/exam design. Chances are students have already created a space like this and there is not much a TA or faculty member can do.  I have had students send me invites to join though – as a way to facilitate student questions more informally. (Psychological and Self-Actualization Needs)
• Host a Q&A forum on the learning management software (Canvas or Blackboard) where students can respond to each other’s content questions and the answers can be monitored by TAs or faculty to make sure students eventually arrive at appropriate answers. (Psychological and Self-Actualization Needs)
• Provide activities that can be done both individually and with other students in the class (such as Kahoot concept reviews) as a way to develop student-to-student support networks. (Psychological and Self-Actualization Needs)
• Flip the classroom:  Provide content that students can engage with but try using the discussion section, one of the class meeting times of the week, or the last 15 minutes of a class to allow students to ask questions they may have about the reading, lectures, or other class content. (Psychological and Self-Actualization Needs)
• Share resources such as places where undergraduate students can take advantage of remote research opportunities like Undergrad Research Portal. (Self-Actualization Needs)

Emotional

• Create an online forum in your learning management system where people can share photos of their pets, plants, or recipes. A friend of mine had great success with students sharing their favorite quarantine recipes. My students have enjoyed sharing photos of their pets. (Psychological Needs)
• Remember to be kind when communicating with students: They are learning in an unusual and new environment, just as you are teaching in one.  Everyone needs a bit of kindness. (Psychological Needs)
• Acknowledge students' lived experiences: This means if they disclose a struggle in an email or during office hours, offer kindness and connection to campus resources.  For assignments that require personal reflection, this means developing a grading rubric that is not appearing to grade their experiences but rather the required elements for the paper. (Psychological Needs)
• Encourage office hours to discuss academic topics beyond class (e.g. ask about their post-graduation plans, share research opportunities and study habits, or just let them drop in to say hello and introduce their pet or cool hobby). (Psychological and Self-Actualization Needs)
• Promote reasonable workloads and encourage study groups and weekend/weekday time away from work (sports, gym, theater, volunteering, time with family, religion, hobby groups). (Psychological and Self-Actualization Needs)

[Image Description: A Pink Kuala, a green alligator, and a blue bird all lean out their windows to chat with each other on a string and can phone. They wave at each other with the words "let's stay connected" written on the wall of their building."

Pictured: The connections you and your students will build  

 

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¹ Umberson, D., R. Crosnoe, and C. Reczek. (2010). “Social Relationships and Health Behavior Across the Life Course.” Annual Review. 36: 139-157

² Wilcox, P., S. Winn and M. Fyvie-Gauld. (2005).  “‘It was nothing to do with the university, it was just the people’: The role of social support in the first-year experience of higher education.” Studies in Higher Education. 30(6): 707-722.