- How do online learning communities significantly impact both student learning and satisfaction within online courses?
Learning communities impact an
online educational environment by the access to the information and the overall
interaction that is established through the course work. In engaging the
learners in deeper discussions and deeper analysis of the material presented,
the students can walk away form the courses of programs with a sense of
accomplishment (Palloff & Pratt, 2012). Using tools such as multimedia, chat rooms, even video
conferencing if available, will add to eh overall enhancement and sense of
belonging to a community and circumvent the alienation that can precipitate
from being a distance learner.
- What are the essential elements of online community building?
Essential elements for online
communities can fall into five spate entities
1) A
sense of shared purpose
2) Established
boundaries of who’s a member and who is not
3) Enforcement
of rules and policies
4) Interaction
among all members in the community
5) Respect
among the members
- How can online learning communities be sustained?
Through active participation,
respect, and understanding of all members of the community, the facilitator
monitors and provides as safe environment for shared learning and community
growth, and the individuals take personal responsibility for their actions and
assist in maintaining a cohesive and positive learning experience. In taking
these actions, a community can become strong and properly motivated to grow and
learn together.
(The Tech Journal, 2012)- What is the relationship between community building and effective online instruction?
There
are several benefits from participation in a successful learning community
model such as increased student satisfaction, increased perception of learning,
an innate sense of belonging or feeling as if they are a part of something
larger than themselves and social pressure to succeed (Palloff & Pratt, 2012). On the other hand, if
the online learning environment is not appropriately developed and/or the
instructor/facilitator does not create a welcoming environment, the students
may quickly succumb to feelings of isolation and loneliness and possibly drop
the course before giving the class or themselves a chance to acclimate
accordingly.
Palloff, R.,
& Pratt, K. (2012, October 28). Online Learning Communities [Video file].
Retrieved from
http://https://class.waldenu.edu/webapps/portal/frameset.jsp?tab_tab_group_id=_2_1&url=%2Fwebapps%2Fblackboard%2Fexecute%2Flauncher%3Ftype%3DCourse%26id%3D_1971765_1%26url%3D
The Tech
Journal (2012). How to manage a sustainable online community. Retrieved
October 28, 2012, from
http://thetechjournal.com/internet/social-community/how-to-manage-a-sustainable-online-community.xhtml
