Selected Research on Building Online Learning Communities: An Annotated BibliographyJosh Simmons

The subject of learning theories is wide and topics vary greatly. I have decided to focus my research on the topic of building online learning communities. My research to this point has brought about many interesting articles and books. Most agree on several areas of online learning communities, but almost all have at least one difference that brings a slightly different perspective to the paper. Two of the articles are based on research conducted on an online class. A couple of articles focus on what the instructor must provide in order to be engaging of all students. Overall each article or book provides a unique insight to the subject of community in the online environment. This annotated bibliography is designed to give an overview of each resource used and a brief summary and desired application of the resource.

Boyer, N. R., Maher, P. A., & Kirkman, S. (2006). Transformative learning in onlinesettings: The use of self-direction, metacognition, and collaborative learning.Journal of Transformative Education, 4(4), 335-361.doi: 10.1177/1541344606295318

The article studies the graduate students’ reflective writings from each semester and gives results that prove the phases of transformation throughout the coursework. The authors discuss self-directed learning, metacognition and collaborative learning in light of online coursework. The instructor was found to be vital in the role of facilitator for a meaningful learning experience. The study emphasizes the individuality of the learner, yet contrasts that with the need for collaborative learning. The study also found several areas that are key to success in online education, including: critical reflection, dialogue, discourse and intentions/actions. This research is valuable to my paper in that it gives a broad overview of online learning, yet shows research toward what makes online learning successful, including collaboration or learning in community.

The support given for virtual classrooms in this book will be key in my paper. Strong support for higher-order thinking is needed to fully accept the use of virtual classrooms in education.

Halfond, J. A. (2011). Distance learning 2.0: It will take a village. New England Journalof Higher Education

This article draws on the importance of distance learning as often seen by hesitant or resistant faculty members. Halfond gives suggestions and examples to help reassure faculty members of the quality and nature of online learning. He discusses the ability to provide a higher level of student services and guide students toward a level of interaction that often cannot be reached in the traditional classroom. This article provides great understanding of distance learning, especially considering the need to create community with learners from diverse backgrounds and places.

I found that the article gives needed insight to hesitant faculty, challenges faced, technology usage, student services and the creation of community within a distance-learning course.

Lock, J. V. (2002). Laying the groundwork for the development of learning communities within online courses. The Quarterly Review of Distance Education, 3(4), 395-408.

Lock provides an overview and gives specific detail as to what must be done in order to create a community of online learning. She compares and contrasts two popular learning theories associated with online learning: Social Constructivist theory and Cognitive theory. Lock continues to give characteristics that are common in online learning communities and discusses pedagogical and technological issues associated with online learning. She gives a lot of detail ina section titled “community building.” She compares building community tobuilding by blueprints and having the proper footings for the structure to restupon. The article gives great insight for my paper as it lays out specifics for creating a successful online learning community.

Maor, D. (2003). The teacher's role in developing interaction and reflection in an online learning community. Educational Media International, 40(1-2), 127-138.

doi: 10.1080/0952398032000092170This article gives a practical approach to designing online instruction to engage learners and build community. The article focuses on the role of the instructor in facilitating online instruction in a higher education environment. The instructor writes of the challenges faced and the difficulty engaging students in online discussion. The article continues by telling how the instructor overcame these obstacles and facilitated a learning community that was vibrant and active. The article is written from a social constructivist point of view and discusses how to incorporate constructivism in an online setting.I think this article provides great insight from a personal perspective of an instructor who has transitioned the coursework to an online platform. The perspective is key in understanding how to build community online.

Murdock, J. L. (2001). Creating an online learning community: Is it possible?. InnovativeHigher Education, 36(5), 305-315. doi: 10.1007/s10755-011-9188-6 This article highlights a study of students in an introduction to counseling course taught by one professor at one university in both traditional and online formats. The learners were surveyed and the results of the survey compiled into the article. The findings of the survey show that there was no significant difference in learners’ perception of learning communities based on the course format. However, students did view the role of the instructor different based on format. Implications for my paper are strong. One of the greatest obstacles to overcome in convincing faculty of quality online instruction is the idea that learning communities cannot exists in the same manner in the online format. This article and study prove the opposite.

Ouzts, K. (2006). Sense of community in online courses. The Quarterly Review ofDistance Education, 7(3), 285-296.

This article reports on a study of online courses at the university level. It reinforces the fact that many faculty members are hesitant toward online teaching. Furthermore, it shows that most faculty members have not been properly trained as to how to teach online, resulting in negative feedback from learners. Faculty who teach online in a similar way to a traditional classroom typically received negative reviews. Faculties who engaged students through assignments or had students engage each other typically were more successful in online instruction. The study shows that a disengaged teacher made students feel as if they were alone in the course. Overall, the article suggests that more training for online educators is necessary. Faculties must be prepared to teach online, as the approach varies greatly from traditional classroom instruction.This article will prove valuable for my paper in that it provides applicable research in the area of successful and non-successful online instruction.

Silvers, P., O'Connell, J., & Fewell, M. (2007). Strategies for creating community in a graduate education online program. Journal of Computing in Teacher Education, 23(3), 81-87.

The article provides practical application of creating effective learning environments from 3 professors who transformed coursework to create communities of online learning. The authors focus on social learning theory and provide real-world ideas for integrating community into every aspect of the course. Projects, discussions, journal entries, group projects, peer reviews and constructive criticism all provide meaningful expressions of community within the course. The authors state that their work has shown that online learning has great potential for expanding the instructional arena. Students are no longer hindered by time and location. Technology bridges the gap between all students.This article gives a substantial backbone to the claim that online learning is effective when building a learning community is the focus. Connecting virtual communities is powerful and provides a way to learn together in a more exciting platform.

Van Dusen, G. C. V., & Dusen, G. C. V. (1997). The virtual campus, technology and reform in higher education. Washington, D.C.: The George Washinton University, Graduate School o.In his book, (specifically chapter 3) Dusen compares the traditional classroom with the virtual classroom. He examines audio/visual resources and their use within the virtual setting. He discusses the potential for interaction stating that there are four types of interaction on the virtual campus: learner-content, learner-instructor, learner-learner, and learner-interface (noting that the later is only possible online). He discusses each interaction in some detail and provides an example of how they are used in the virtual classroom. He also mentions tutorial programs and exploratory software that brings a

different perspective to the student. He suggests that in the virtual classroom technology supports collaborative learning and higher-order thinking better than in the traditional classroom.

Wei, C., & Chen, N. (2012). A model for social presence in online classrooms. Educational Technology Research and Development, 60(5), 529-545. doi: 10.1007/s11423-012-9234-9

Wei and Chen provide a deep look at online learning in the context of social interaction. Since typical online learners feel isolated and alienated in online learning environments, we must determine how to combat those perceptions. The authors propose a rigorous academic environment that is delivered via technology and connects learners from many backgrounds and locations. This gives the learner the best experience and atmosphere for learning. Wei and Chen focus on the importance of the user interface and it’s affects on social cues. Social cues have a significant effect on interaction, which has a significant effect on performance. This study also approaches online learning from social cognitive theory; promoting the idea that learning in community is ideal. This paper will be key in my research as it provides a specific look at social cues and social presence in online learning.