Online Learning Communities

Online learning communities do impact student enjoyment and learning of an online course. Dr. Palloff and Dr. Pratt define a learning community as “a community of student and faculty who explore content together to construct meaning and knowledge about that content (Laureate Education, 2012)”. These learning communities provide a place where students and instructors can participate as equals in working through the content and the course itself. This interaction fosters educational discussions among colleagues as well as provides a community of support for colleagues that encourage learning and discovery. The essential elements of online community building include creating rules of engagement, providing online training, understanding the goals and benefits of online learning communities, and understanding the facilitator’s role in the learning community. The rules of engagement show the learners how to engage which include: how often to engage, the expectations held of the instructor for the participation, and how often does the institution expect learners to participate. Another component of building an online community is to provide proper training to demonstrate how to use the technology to properly engage in discussion. Learners also need to understand the ultimate goals of the learning community. Dr. Palloff and Dr. Pratt explain that “the power of learning communities is learner-to-learner engagement”( Laureate Education, 2012). The goals of these learning communities is to allow students to become more self-directed and create a sense of presence in the online classroom, The success of the learning community is based on every student’s participation in discussion. Learners must also understand the benefits in participating in these communities which include: student satisfaction, sense of community, and social pressure to succeed in the class. Lastly, understanding the facilitator’s role is essential because he or she is an important factor to the success of learning community. The instructor can make the course a pleasant and inviting by welcoming student participation as well as making their own presence visual by visiting the discussion forum many times. Online communities can be sustained by allowing learners to feel like they could easily participate. For instance the online community must be easy to navigate. If students encounter too much technology in the beginning of the course, their struggle will make them hesitant to continue the course in fear that the level of difficulty will only increase. Online communities must also be warm and inviting. This can be done by having an instructor write welcome letters as well as make their presence visual by becoming an equal participant in the discussion. Boettcher and Conrad (2010) explain some strategies to shape a learning community which include: “supporting and encouraging peer to peer discussion and collaboration, posing open-ended questions, and encouraging the linking of course content to current events and problems (p. 225). Another element that can allow for sustained online communities is providing an area in which students can get to know one another so they can feel more comfortable with participation with their colleagues. There is a significant relationship between community building and effective online instruction. For example, online communities actually increase participation and scholarly discussion among students. Students who may be timid in a traditional classroom may find it easier to participate in an online setting. Learning communities also offer support for students to succeed in the course, by allowing them to seek help from colleagues. Lastly many learners find that participating in learning communities to be a satisfying activity. Baghdadi (2011) explains “this aesthetically pleasing environment, in which learners feel secure and share information in positive ways, drives them to build their own networks of friends and colleagues fostering further their academic, professional, and even social endeavors “(p. 12). Student satisfaction leads to increase participation in his or her learning. In summary learning communities offer a variety of benefits to online learners and can be an effective way to increase student and instructor interaction in an online setting. These resources have shown me that learning communities do have a variety of components and do require specific activities to sustain participation. To be an effective instructor I now understand the importance of using learning communities. Learning communities provide support that is lacking in a traditional classroom experience and encourages scholarly discussion that supports the learning of the content. Resources Baghdadi, Ziad D. Turkish Online Journal of Distance Education (TOJDE). Oct2011, Vol. 12 Issue 4, p12-16. 5p. Boettcher, J & Conrad, Rita.(2010). The Online Teaching Survival Guide Simple and Practical Pedagogical Tips. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass. Laureate Education, Inc. (Executive Producer). (2012). Evaluating Distance Learning Theory . Baltimore, MD: Author