Online Learning Communities
Online learning, like any other type of learning, has its strengths and weaknesses. Well-designed online courses will likely achieve all of their targeted learning goals with a rich and engaging learning experience. Whereas, poorly planned, designed, or executed will often fall short in many ways. Conrad and Donaldson (2011) shared that engaging learning stimulates active participation, which then, in turn, leads to superior knowledge acquisition through an active online learning community.
Palloff and Pratt (2010) shared that the elements of an online community are people, purpose, and process. With a well-established and respected online learning community social constructivism is a natural side-effect, where the individuals get transformed into scholar practitioners. Furthermore, Palloff and Pratt (2010) shared that a strong learning community is when students are engaged together, construct knowledge together, and engage in continuous reflection. With a strong online community of learners, another side-effect is increased self-direction, an increased sense of responsibility, an increased perception of learning, and the feeling that one belongs to something larger than themself (Palloff & Pratt in Walden University, LLC, 2010).
How to Build a Snowman? No! Kinda?! How to Build a Successful Online Learning Community
Like building a snowman, to build a successful online learning community, you have to start from the beginning and get the “ball” rolling, so to speak, with introductions. Beins (2016) shared that informal communication between instructors and students and students to students is one way to begin to build a successful online learning community. In order to be able to appreciate each other’s formal communications (discussion posts and assignments), this beginning “conversation” of an informal nature sets the tone and allows each member of the community to see each other as real people (Bein, 2016). When people feel connected in an online course, it can help drive up learner satisfaction. I know that at Walden, we always begin the course by sharing in the student lounge information about ourselves and we often receive a video message from our instructor. The “small talk” supports students feeling connected to each other and their instructor (Bein, 2016). In my opinion, this is the first metaphorical “snowball.” Yet, without this foundational snowball, the rest of the snowman would not be able to be constructed. Finally, Palloff and Pratt (2010) shared that in the first two weeks of the course, it is essential to break down the isolation factor that many online learners face. Using a personal touch, like a phone call or email in the early days of course, may break down those barriers. Another suggestion is to create an orientation module that allows learners to get to know each other and also orients them to the course management system (Palloff and Pratt in Walden University, LLC, 2010.)
Essential Elements of Online Community Building and Sustaining Them
According to Vesley, Bloom, and Sherlock (2007), essential elements of online community building include: a sense of shared purpose; a determination of boundaries, as to whom is a member and whom is not; established guidelines, rules, and policies regarding community behavior; frequent and positive interactions between members; and an established level of trust or a rapport amongst members. Palloff and Pratt (2010) concurred in this week’s video that essential elements of an online community help pull students together; allow students to explore together; allow students to co-construct knowledge together; allow students to challenge each other and draw things out of one another, and allows for social construction of knowledge.
In order to sustain a successful online learning community, there are three significant factors: social presence; authentic learning, and interdependency (Ryman et al, 2014). Boettcher and Conrad (2016) shares ten core principles of learning that would also contribute to sustaining an online learning community, with the learner always being at the center of the experience. Having an instructor that can do this and also support students and mentor them in personal ways, encompasses principles two and three (Boettcher & Conrad, 2016).
Closing Remarks
Dawson, Burnett, & O’Donohue (2006) shared that a sense of community has been shown to enhance student learning. When we feel that we have a part in the process, when we feel we are more than just people behind computer screens, and have the opportunity to participate in authentic learning experiences, the online learning community can really be created and sustained.
Thanks,
Amanda Valente
References
Beins, A. (2016). Small Talk and Chit Chat: Using Informal Communication to Build a Learning Community Online. Transformations: The Journal of Inclusive Scholarship & Pedagogy, 26(2), 157–175. https://doi.org/10.1353/tnf.2016.0022
Boettcher, J. V., & Conrad, R. (2016). The online teaching survival guide: Simple and practical pedagogical tips (2nd ed.).San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.
Conrad, R., & Donaldson, J. A. (2011). Engaging the online learner: Activities and resources for creative instruction (Updated ed.). San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.
Dawson, S., Burnett, B., & O’Donohue, M. (2006). Learning communities: an untapped sustainable competitive advantage for higher education. International Journal of Educational Management.
Vesely, P., Bloom, L., & Sherlock, J. (2007). Key elements of building online community: Comparing faculty and student perceptions. MERLOT Journal of Online Learning and Teaching, 3(3), 234-246.
Walden University, LLC. (Producer). (2010). Online learning communities [Video file].
Hey Amanda – This is Kris. I will be following your Blog for the Instructional Strategies course. Good Luck.
Hi Amanda! You are bookmarked and I’ll be following you for EIDT 6510.
I think this was an excellent post. I enjoyed how to build a snowman. I think it made the whole idea come together, needing different parts coming together to make a whole. Nicely put. I hope that we in this class can make an effective learning community, helping one another.
Hi Amanda,
I find it interesting you listed social presence and authentic learning as sustaining factors. Online discussions have a well-known propensity for misrepresenting emotional tone (Miller, 2014). This makes me wonder how authentic our social presence actually is. Something to think about. 🙂
I enjoyed your blog.
Rebecca
Miller, M.(2014). Minds Online. Harvard University Press, Cambridge, MA.
Amanda, I really enjoyed reading your blog. You made the comparison of building a successful online learning community to building a snowman which was a great connection. Communication amongst Peers and the instructor is the foundation to an effective online course. You mentioned that instructors should consider creating an orientation module so that learners can come to know one another. I think this is a brilliant idea and a great way to break the ice within the learning community. Part of online learning is learning through peer interaction and learners should be comfortable with sharing their perspective and ideas amongst each other.