Building Community in Online and Distance Learning Classrooms:

Strategies to overcome obstacles, facilitate engagement, and assess effectiveness

.

LaDonna Ebright, M.S.Judi Estes, Ph.D.Amy Wolf, Ph.D.

Dong Hwa Choi, Ph.D

Park University Kansas City, MO

Theories to Support Learning Community

• Vygotsky: people learn from social relationships

• Bandura: people learn through active involvement in interpreting and making meaning of their environment

• Berger & Luckmann: knowledge constructed through collaboration but is contextual to each person. Adults learn from one another through social construction of knowledge.

Major Premises of Learning

• Reciprocal interaction is the key quality indicator • Relationships and interactions increase generation

of knowledge • Interaction facilitates application to real world

Why build community in online courses?

• Sense of community increases engagement; engagement increases retention and quality of responses

• Community offers exposure to different perspectives; different viewpoints increase quality of reflection

What are obstacles you face to building community in online environment?

Facilitating Engagement: Building Rapport

• Personal Homepages• “Avatar” with each posting• Scavenger hunts• Office Hours• Facebook groups• Accessible to students

• Virtual Café• Classroom Norms• Course Expectations• Connects regularly with

students (follow-up)• Identifying students

experience• On-line buddy

Facilitating Engagement: Building Discussion

• Threaded Discussions – Bloom’s taxonomy

• Establishing a rubric of interaction– Roybler

• Small group development– Ongoing – Shared knowledge– Problem solving

Facilitating Engagement: Community Success

• Being responsive to student needs • Voice over presentations• Tutorials • Americans with Disabilities (ADA)

Facilitating Engagement: Faculty Interaction

• Immediate, frequent, personal• Direct objective language• Clear expectations; detailed feedback• Balance between assignments and discussions• Teacher Tube, Skype, Logitec, etc.• Celebrations

Creating common knowledge…teaching strategies

• Video resources• Enthusiasm• Peer Review

Creating a common knowledge…field experiences

• Reflective journal discussion boards• Video

– Peer review– Reflection

Assessing Effectiveness

Questions, Comments, Ideas

References

• Annual Conference, Orlando, Florida. eLearn: Best Practices: Tips and Tools for Fostering a Creative e-Learning Class www.elearning.org

• Bender, T. (2003). Discussion-based online teaching to enhance student learning. Stylus Publishing.

• Bienick, Carmalita (2009 March) Moodle: E-Learning in the 21st Century Classroom: Workshop conducted at Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development Annual Conference, Orlando, Florida.

References

• Finnegan, K. & Morris, L. (2009). Understanding and Improving Learning in the Online Environment. Paper Presentation: Department of Defense World-Wide Education Symposium

• Misanchuk, M., Anderson, T. Building community in an online learning environment: communication, cooperation and collaboration. Retrieved from http://frank.mtsu.edu/-itcomf/proceed01/19html

• Orminston, Meg. (2009 March). Professional Learning Networks Using Web 2.0 Tools Workshop conducted at Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development a

References

• Palloff, R. M. & Pratt, K. (2007). Building online learning communities. Jossey-Bass

• Renzi. S, Klobas.J (2002 June)Developing Community In Online Distance Learning, ECIS 2002 June p1384-93.

• Roblyer, M. D., & Wiencke, W. (2003). Design and use of a rubric to assess and encourage interactive qualities in distance courses. American Journal of Distance Education, 17(2), 77-98.

References

• Roblyer, M. D., & Wiencke, W. (2004). Exploring the interaction equation: Validating a rubric to assess and encourage interaction in distance courses. The Journal of Asynchronous Learning Networks, 8(4), 24-37.

• Zaslow, M, Tout, K, Maxwell, K, & Clifford, R (2004, September) The role of professional development in creating high quality preschool education. Paper presented at the Brookings Institution-University of North Carolina Conference on Preschool Education, Washington, DC.

Possible obstacles to building community

• Lack of experience with online courses• Lack of confidence related to lack of experience• Lack of confidence in technology skills• Sense of isolation• Uncomfortable with asking questions• Life happenings competing for time• Desire anonymity