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Understanding the Instructor’s Role in Facilitating Online Discussions

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Understanding the Instructor’s Role in Facilitating Online Discussions

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Effective online discussion is a key component to building community in an online course.

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Faculty Focus | Higher Ed Teaching & Learning

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In my classroom-based courses I have always valued discussion as a powerful learning tool that provides students with opportunities to explain their reasoning and understanding, learn different perspectives and points of view, and re-think and possibly revise their own conceptions based on careful reflection of potentially disparate viewpoints. As I prepared to teach my first online course five years ago, it was only natural that discussion would be a part of it.

My use of online group discussion assignments led me to reflect on what I feel my role could and should be in the online course. Initially, I questioned whether I should be involved at all in online discussion. After all, in a classroom setting, although it was commonplace for me to walk around the room and listen to bits and pieces of different group discussions, I rarely jumped into these discussions, primarily because I was always afraid if I hovered around a group for too long, I might make some students feel uncomfortable, and this might then stifle discussion altogether.

I worried about similar things in the online setting. I was concerned that if I jumped into a discussion, I might change the dynamics of the group. Students might feel uneasy if they felt that I was going to critique every little thing they wrote, or they might begin to expect me to suddenly appear and give them the correct answer. I decided it would be better if I remained silent unless it was absolutely necessary for me to interject (e.g., if misconceptions were voiced that other students did not correct, if inappropriate behavior suddenly became an issue, etc.).

Changing the way I participate in online discussions
As I reviewed course evaluations after my first year of online teaching, an unexpected theme emerged: several students mentioned they wished I had been a bigger part of their discussions, primarily so they would know if they were on the right track. I naively assumed my silence during group discussion would be taken as evidence by students that their discussions were right on target, but this was not the case at all. Students needed more reassurance, especially since I was asking them to take very big risks in terms of explaining their understanding of a content area that was often new and challenging for them.

This feedback made me realize that instructor's presence is very important in online discussion forums, and I began to think about ways I could be involved in discussions in positive and proactive ways. I now make it a point to post at least one message in every group discussion room during every group assignment. Among other things, I make a point to:

Cheer students on and let them know when they are on the right track

Highlight important points made during discussion

Question students about their understanding or ask them to clarify remarks they have made or expand on certain ideas

Correct misconceptions/misunderstandings

Provide direct instruction if students appear to be struggling to understand material

I also find myself focusing on the great opportunities I have in the online setting that I don't have in my classroom-based courses. In the online course, I am able to witness every group discussion from start to finish, and I am able to carefully review the contributions to discussion made by each student in the class. If students are struggling, I can reach out to those students and offer extra assistance. I am able to learn so much more than I ever could in a classroom setting about how students think through different problems and the hurdles they face along the way as they attempt to solve these problems. I hope that ultimately this will allow me to continually improve in my role as an instructor.
Dr. Michelle Everson is a Lecturer in the Department of Educational Psychology at the University of Minnesota.

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Understanding the Instructor's Role in Facilitating Online Discussions - Faculty Focus | Higher Ed Teaching & Learning

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In my classroom-based courses I have always valued discussion as a powerful learning tool that provides students with opportunities to explain their reasoning and understanding, learn different perspectives and points of view, and re-think and possibly revise their own conceptions based on careful reflection of potentially disparate viewpoints.

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What Research Tells Us about Online Discussion

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What Research Tells Us about Online Discussion

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Faculty Focus

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Faculty Focus | Higher Ed Teaching & Learning

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Student discussion differentiates online education from the old correspondence courses. But there are still many questions to answer in order to facilitate good discussion online. Hong Zhiu, of the University of Texas at San Antonio, did a meta-analysis of studies of online discussion over the past 15 years and has interesting findings about participation. These findings can help instructors maximize the benefits of discussion.

A few students dominate. Studies show that a few students tend to dominate discussion, just as a few people tend to dominate face-to-face discussions. Yet, most students still talk more in an online discussion than in a face-to-face environment, lending evidence to the perception that online education tends to draw shy students out of their shells. This is one major advantage of online education, and a reason why discussion should be central to any online course.

The finding also reminds us that even in an online discussion, equal participation is not likely. While it is important to establish minimum requirements for participation, human nature means that some students will still dominate. In fact, trying to even out participation rates might have undesirable consequences. Requiring too many discussion posts from each student will lead to students posting just to meet the guideline.

While we want students to learn how to express themselves, we might also consider the legitimate role of a "passive participant." Maybe that person is a good listener, while another who contributes a lot is a poor listener. The online instructor should ask whether the purpose of discussion is to get everyone to talk or to generate good ideas. If the latter, then craft discussion requirement to allow for discussion supporters who encourage others but do not take a larger role.

Participation between students increases over time. Studies have shown that initial discussion tends to be between faculty and students, but as time goes on, students start talking to one another more and more. This is encouraging, and the goal of an online course is to move the center of gravity of a class from the lecture to the discussion. The design of a traditional classroom with desks facing the instructor embodies the assumption that students are there to listen, and as a result discussion goes through the instructor. But everyone is in an equal position in an online discussion, so students tend to start genuinely speaking to one another.

This does not mean that online instructors should remove themselves entirely from discussion. Students want the instructor to be present, at the very least to demonstrate that students' points are valued. A good guideline is that an online instructor should foster, but not dominate, discussion. Provide the structure and initial nudge, but hope that it eventually gets taken over by students.

Constructive interactions. A third theme is that the majority of discussion is collaborative and constructive. Researchers found that responses generally contained supportive messages about others' postings. This is important, as people who do not teach online often assume that students will start flaming on online discussion boards. Flaming is context-dependent. Unlike in other forums, online students are not truly anonymous, and because the instructor holds the grades there is a built-in deterrent to flaming. Studies also show that responses to others were far more common in discussions than original postings. This again makes sense, as any discussion generally starts with an initial topic and then builds on that.

But the finding draws into question the common requirement in online courses that all students make an original posting. This can create multiple discussion threads that are hard to follow. Students will also run out of original ideas after a few postings are made, and turn their "original" postings into unoriginal comments.

Consider the purpose of the original posting requirement. It is to generate creativity? If so, then a response to someone else's point might contain more insight and creativity than an original posting. Maybe instead of requiring an original posting and one or two replies to others, just require one or two original thoughts.

The fact that most responses were supportive also raises the question of whether students are too nice in discussion. Some studies suggest that students are unwilling to challenge one another in discussion. Has the focus on acceptance and inclusion in today's education led students to be hesitant to disagree? The purpose of academic discussion is to model civil and constructive disagreement as a means of intellectual progress, and so an online instructor might deliberately "stir the pot" with postings that invite disagreement as a way to facilitate robust interaction and engagement.
Reference
Zhou, H. (2015). A Systematic Review of Empirical Studies on Participants' Interactions in Internet- Mediated Discussion Boards as a Course Component in Formal Higher Education Settings, Online Learning Journal, v. 19, n. 3.

Reprinted from Online Classroom, 16.2 (2016): 4. © Magna Publications. All rights reserved.

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What Research Tells Us about Online Discussion

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Student discussion differentiates online education from the old correspondence courses. But there are still many questions to answer in order to facilitate good discussion online. Hong Zhiu, of the University of Texas at San Antonio, did a meta-analysis of studies of online discussion over the past 15 years and has interesting findings about participation.

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Journal of the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning

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How to create an inclusive classroom for students with disabilities (opinion)

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How to create an inclusive classroom for students with disabilities (opinion)

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Inside Higher Ed opinion piece

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It's a new semester, and you are gearing up for the first session of one of your courses. You have syllabus in hand, copies of course readings, information loaded into the online course management system and emails detailing student accommodation needs from the disability services office on your campus. One student has accommodations for double time on exams, one student gets a copy of class notes and one student will have a sign language interpreter. What is your responsibility with those accommodations?

Typically, faculty members aren't asked to do much; students manage such requests. They register with the disability services office, collect paperwork documenting their individual needs and get approval, and then the DSO shares those needs with you via official correspondence. You allow for such accommodations to happen and proceed to teach the course.

Yet while such solutions are mandated by law -- the Americans With Disabilities Act and Section 504 of the Rehab Act -- they may not be enough. They generally ensure access to information. (Can students see the information? Process it?) But they don't necessarily guarantee inclusion in the classroom learning process. (Can they interact with other students? Are some students consistently in passive roles rather than active or collaborative roles?) Only 40 percent of postsecondary students with disabilities disclose their needs to the disability services office in the first place, and thus they do not even gain access to accommodations. Moreover, those accommodations may not result in active classroom participation and collaboration.

Consider students who rely on a sign language interpreter in a class discussion when a professor is also presenting graphic information -- such as a video demonstration, graphic animation or writing out a solution on the board. They have to choose between watching the interpreter or the graphics. They have an increased cognitive load in comprehending classroom talk, as it is physically impossible to watch two places at once.

But faculty members can employ a host of relatively simple strategies to make this experience more accessible and more inclusive for students with disabilities. And it happens that such strategies often make the experience better for many enrolled students (disabled or not) -- and simultaneously make your job more effective.

So what are some examples you can use?

Pause. Literally. Often while writing on the board or displaying projected slides, faculty members narrate at the same time. But when a new slide is displayed (or when you turn toward the board to write), you should stop narrating. Give students a chance to read the information first, and then speak. You can check their eyeballs -- one cue is when students finish looking at the slides and look back in your own direction.

This allows students to get access to the information on the board separately from your verbal commentary. It reduces the cognitive load of the task at hand; it is easier to process information separately. And it probably benefits most students when learning new material, as well as students with specific disabilities, those with specific learning needs (e.g., nonnative speakers of English) and even those who are tired or hungry.

Provide whiteboards. When assigning group activities in class, provide a whiteboard to each team and give them one rule: they must use the whiteboard during group work. That requires some changes to the physical infrastructure of the classroom. Typically, in class group work, students will sit around a table together, with a worksheet and/or laptop in front of them, and talk through solving the problems while writing at the same time. That results in two challenges for students who rely on the visual channel for input. First, group members generally have their heads looking down at the table (or screen), reducing any visual cues a deaf or hard-of-hearing student might get while watching oral language production from other students. Second, it is not uncommon for students to go down an incorrect "garden path" in solving problems -- and what one person writes on their own worksheet may be quite different than what others put down.

Moving the process into a large, vertical and visual whiteboard space solves a number of those problems. It gives students in groups a level playing field for working through information visually. In addition, you can quickly glance around the room to check how far along people are in the problem-solving process. You can then intervene, provide support or offer comments or questions when and where necessary. Technological solutions such as whiteboard apps may also work here.

Consider a poster session. Many faculty members assign individual or team presentations as a culminating activity at the end of the term. The learning goals of such activities often include student synthesis of information, oral presentation and writing. But the experience of listening to student presentations can be frustrating and suboptimal for students in general as well as students who rely on language access services in particular. When nervous, many read aloud quickly (or quietly, or while mumbling), rather than pacing information well and narrating skillfully.

In contrast, the structure of poster presentations requires students to have short, clear summaries of their material ready to discuss with attendees. Students synthesize their work on the poster, prepare shorter chunks of summary information to share with multiple people and gain practice in responding to specific questions about their work

That changes the learning experience from one focused on summarizing what they have learned (and presenting it once) to a shorter summary alongside more in-depth question-and-answer periods. It allows for a better learning experience over all for many students in the course, as well as students with disabilities who have an extra load in trying to process and access information.

An unintended consequence of designing pedagogical strategies to address the challenges that students with disabilities face is that often these strategies improve the learning experience for everyone. All students probably can use a few extra seconds to process visual information before adding the layer of auditory information. Whiteboards for group work give you as a faculty member a way to quickly check all groups visually and catch groups that are heading in the wrong direction. It also allows all students to employ multiple ways of interacting with their classmates -- they can draw, write, pantomime with visual support and so on. And the repetition of telling your poster summary to attendees is perhaps a better learning experience than telling it once to your classmates.

None of these strategies are particularly difficult to implement, especially if you plan for them before your course begins. By assuming some pedagogical responsibility for the needs of students with disabilities in the course, you may improve the learning experience for all students -- as well as your own teaching experience.

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How to create an inclusive classroom for students with disabilities (opinion)

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It's a new semester, and you are gearing up for the first session of one of your courses. You have syllabus in hand, copies of course readings, information loaded into the online course management system and emails detailing student accommodation needs from the disability services office on your campus.

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The IDRC is a research and development centre at OCAD University

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What do we mean by Inclusive Design?

We have defined Inclusive Design as: design that considers the full range of human diversity with respect to ability, language, culture, gender, age and other forms of human difference.

The Three Dimensions of Inclusive Design

At the IDRC and the Inclusive Design Institute we stress three dimensions of inclusive design:

1: Recognize diversity and uniqueness

Inclusive design keeps the diversity and uniqueness of each individual in mind. As individuals spread out from the hypothetical average, the needs of individuals that are outliers, or at the margins, become ever more diverse. Most individuals stray from the average in some facet of their needs or goals. This means that a mass solution does not work well. Optimal inclusive design is best achieved through one-size-fit-one configurations. Flexible or adaptable systems such as digital systems are most amenable to this but the emergence of 3D printers and other mechanisms of bespoke manufacturing and component-based architectures can also achieve diversity-supportive design. This does not imply a separate, specialized or segregated solution. Segregated solutions are not sustainable economically or technically. Inclusively designed personalization and flexible configurations must be integrated to maintain interoperability and currency. This also does not imply adaptive systems that make choices for the user. Inclusive design recognizes the importance of self-determination and self-knowledge. Design choices or configuration choices vest with the user and the adaptive design fosters the growth of self-knowledge wherever possible.

2: Inclusive process and tools

The process of design and the tools used in design are inclusive. (This dimension is in line with Scott Page's observations regarding the performance of groups that include diverse perspectives. Scott Page has empirically shown that a group that includes diverse perspectives, especially perspectives from the margins, trumps a group of the "best and brightest," in decision-making, accurate prediction and innovation). Inclusive design teams should be as diverse as possible and include individuals who have a lived experience of the "extreme users" (as coined by Rich Donovan) the designs are intended for. This also respects the edict "nothing about us without us" without relegating people with disabilities to the role of subjects of research or token participants in design exercises. To support diverse participation and enable the design to be as closely linked as possible to the application, the design and development tools should become as accessible and usable as possible. This dimension does not denigrate the skills of professional designers but calls for those skills to become more accessible and for the design process to become more inclusive of diverse designers and consumers.

3: Broader beneficial impact

It is the responsibility of inclusive designers to be aware of the context and broader impact of any design and strive to effect a beneficial impact beyond the intended beneficiary of the design. Inclusive design should trigger a virtuous cycle of inclusion, leverage the "curb-cut effect", and recognize the interconnectedness of users and systems. To realize this broader positive impact requires the integration of inclusive design into design in general. This third dimension supports the healthier, wealthier and wiser societies Wilkinson and Pickett observed in their research of more equal communities.

The Relative Nature of Disability and Accessibility

The IDRC reframes disability within the design context. Rather than a personal characteristic or a binary state (disabled vs. non-disabled), disability is framed as: a mismatch between the needs of the individual and the design of the product, system or service. With this framing, disability can be experienced by anyone excluded by the design. For example, when listening to an audio-only lecture the student who is blind is less disabled than the student who has not read the background material, the student who is less fluent with the language, or the student who has been up all night. An audio lecture is designed for a student who has the contextual knowledge, understands the language well, and can fully attend. With this framing anyone can potentially benefit from inclusive design.

Accessibility is therefore the ability of the design or system to match the requirements of the individual. It is not possible to determine whether something is accessible unless you know the user, the context and the goal.

Why not use the term Universal Design?

Inclusive Design, as we use it, can be seen as Universal Design with a number of provisos.

When we chose the term we wanted to distinguish it from the then current associations with the term Universal Design. The associations that we want to avoid are not necessarily part of any formalized definition of Universal Design, but nevertheless are part of the popular assumptions about the term.
The distinctions we wanted to make were:
The Context: Universal design has its origins in architectural and industrial design - we work in the digital realm where the constraints, design options and design methods are very different. The most important difference is that we do not need to design one-size-fits-all, the flexibility of the digital gives us the luxury and freedom to take a one-size-fits-one personalized design approach to inclusion.

The User: Universal design, despite the fact that it has the term universal in it, and counter to the intentions of the originators of the term, has become associated with disabilities and a fairly constrained categorization of disabilities. Other than the commonly quoted principles of Universal Design, much universal design guidance categorizes design advice according to constrained categories of disability. We want to stress that the individual is multi-faceted and the constraints or design needs they have may arise from a number of factors or characteristics, and they all need to be taken into account (e.g., I may be blind, but I don't read Braille, I have some residual vision so the pictures help me navigate, also French is my second language and I'm currently juggling my kids and my job and haven't slept all night so I'm stressed and a little bit distracted).

The Method: While the common goal is inclusion, because we are dealing with digital design our design considerations are very different from the non-digital, we can have a differently configured "entrance" for each person, in fact we can have multiple entrances for one person, each for a different context. Similarly we can have a different "handle" for each person and each context or each goal. The design constraints are very different from the domain in which Universal Design originated. While Universal Design is about creating a common design that works for everyone, we have the freedom to create a design system that can adapt, morph, or stretch to address each design need presented by each individual.
The common notions with Universal Design that we espouse and stress are:

1. Designing systems so they work for people with disabilities results in systems that work better for everyone.

2. Segregated, specialized design is not sustainable and does not serve the individual or society in the long run. You may ask are we not taking specialization to the extreme? Yes, in one sense we are, but it is common specialization that comes as an integrated part of the system - whether you have a disability or do not have a disability.

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We have defined Inclusive Design as: design that considers the full range of human diversity with respect to ability, language, culture, gender, age and other forms of human difference. At the IDRC and the Inclusive Design Institute we stress three dimensions of inclusive design: 1: Recognize diversity and uniqueness Inclusive design keeps the diversity and uniqueness of each individual in mind.

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flexible learning for open education

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We share strategies and techniques for inclusive teaching that have come out of real world situations.

We build inclusive tools that respect and support individual differences and learner differentiation.

We co-design strategies, tools and learning experiences with learners facing barriers in education.

We support emerging inclusive learning communities.

We are an open community that welcomes new ideas, constructive critique, content and contributions in the space of Inclusive Open Education.

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The Community-Led Co-design Kit is a place for sharing knowledge about how to do co-design led by community members and organizations.

The Inclusive Learning Design Handbook assists teachers, content creators, Web developers, and others in creating adaptable and personalizable educational content that accommodates a diversity of learning needs and preferences.

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The Inclusive Design Guide gathers insights, practices, tools and activities that are grounded in the Three Dimensions of Inclusive Design.

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Supporting diverse learners and educators | FLOE

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We share strategies and techniques for inclusive teaching that have come out of real world situations. We build inclusive tools that respect and support individual differences and learner differentiation. We co-design strategies, tools and learning experiences with learners facing barriers in education. We support emerging inclusive learning communities.

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Creating effective student engagement in online courses:What do students find engaging?

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Creating effective student engagement in online courses:What do students find engaging?

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Journal of the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning

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Six Instructional Best Practices for Online Engagement and Retention

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Six Instructional Best Practices for Online Engagement and Retention

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Loyola University Chicago Publication

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Six Instructional Best Practices for Online Engagement and Retent.pdf

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6 Tips To Build A Thriving Online Learning Community

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6 Tips To Build A Thriving Online Learning Community

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eLearning Best Practices

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Creating an interactive and engaging environment for your learners can be the key to running a successful online program. By building an interactive online learning community for your learners you are not only improving your course, but providing a much greater learning experience for everyone involved.

How To Build A Thriving Online Learning Community

Just because you are running your learning program online, that doesn't mean that you don't have to consider building an online learning community. It's common for the community aspect of online learning to be ignored as instructors are not seeing their students face to face on a daily basis, but one of the most important aspects in building a great program is forming an online learning community that can provide the help and support that a learner needs.

In this article we will be looking at 6 tips that will help you create an active and engaging online learning community.

1. Be present at the course site.
When the teacher or instructor is interacting with students in a traditional classroom setting, they are building a community in which all members feel that they can openly discuss the course content or ask questions. There is no reason why the same experience cannot take place in an online setting though. The key with establishing your online learning community is establishing some clear expectations at the beginning of your course or program. The best way to do this is to define some clear "Office Hours" for when you will be online. Depending on your subject, students, and other variables, this could be as simple as being online and ready to answer questions for a couple of 2-3 blocks every week. This can be invaluable for students and can provide them with the support that they need to excel in a course as opposed to just scraping through.

2. Get your students involved.
At the beginning of a program, it's always great to get students to start with providing a personal introduction to the group so that they can get to know more about each other, as well as letting you find out more about the personalities that you will be working with. Don't forget to post an introduction yourself too! The types of things that are great to encourage students to share are info on professional experiences, personal information such as family, friends, and pets, as well as photos or short videos. Setting up a virtual classroom or group message board/chat rooms is also a great way for students to learn of each other when they have questions and allows them to form bonds that make the learning experience more enjoyable. Encourage use of a general forum for students to post and ask for help or assistance from each other through. Breaking the class up into smaller groups where students can mentor each other and assist in supporting their learning is also a great technique. It's a similar approach to the more traditional study group, but with a modern twist.

3. Set expectations from the beginning.
This best practice is one of the most important to take note of and can be the greatest help for you in the long term. Before you even begin your course set some clear expectation in the course details prior to enrollment, so that students understand how your interactions will be taking place. As an example, many instructors tell their students that they will receive a response to any question within 24 hours on weekdays, and leading up to exams periods there will be office hours' periods held online where students can join in a conversation via live chat. A great way to reduce the workload of the instructor is to post responses to questions in a location for all learners to view and avoid answering the same questions over and over. Monitoring questions can also be handled by the students themselves, and when posted in a course message board or similar, it can be a great way for everyone to learn together, even with the instructor not being available. Online learning is just as intensive as classroom learning, and time to do the work needs to be scheduled and planned for, just as when you attend traditional classroom style classes. Being clear as to how much time is required on a weekly basis to keep up with the course will always keep stress levels down.

4. Don't forget to interact with your students!
"How is the course going?" "Do you have any suggestions?" Talk to your students about the learning material. You'd be surprised how much you can improve a course based on the feedback you get from the people actually taking it. If you start this process early on in the program you also assist in helping provide a better learning experience for the people raising questions. Using this process will not only improve the learning experience for your current students, but over a longer period of time, and feedback, your program will be much more well-rounded and enjoyable for new enrollments.

5. Prepare posts that invite questions, discussions, and responses.
When preparing posts for your communication with your learners, always think about what you'd like their reaction to be. Do you want them to ask for more information, have a discussion, or respond with their opinions/answers? You might use a discussion if you are looking to create an open question and answer forum, encourage critical or creative thinking, or reinforce domain or procedural processes. Once you have got the students engaged, begin to raise some follow-up questions. Why do you think that? What is your reasoning? Is there an alternative strategy? Get the students thinking about why they are giving you these answers and if they might have missed something. Let the students know how you'd like them to respond, e.g. a two-part response: What you liked or agreed with, and a follow-up like what you are you still curious about, etc. Working professionals are often overwhelmed with many problems, and providing options makes it easier to associate their learning with their work experience.Important: Don't post YES/NO questions. Once you have an answer, that's the end of the discussion and we want to keep our students active in discussion. Make sure that you are actively answer email, monitor discussions, post reminders, and hold online office hours at least four times every week so that your students get the help that they need.

6. Mix up the way that your students are learning.
Identify and discuss the core concepts that are required in a course and then set the students to apply this learning to a complex project that encompasses these concepts. This technique allows the students to bring their own style of learning into the course through the project and will deeper ingrain the core messages that you are covering. Many online learners within professional programs are working professionals. Supporting learners with their professional goals that are closely linked to the performance goals of a course is a win-win for the learners individually and as a group. How do we do this? Offer opportunities to students to have options and choices in assignments.

With these tips you'll have no problem getting your students interacting through their own online learning community and learning much faster and more effectively. Plus, it's a whole lot more fun to have people to talk to when you are learning!

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6 Tips To Build A Thriving Online Learning Community - eLearning Industry

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Creating an interactive and engaging environment for your learners can be the key to running a successful online program. By building an interactive online learning community for your learners you are not only improving your course, but providing a much greater learning experience for everyone involved.

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Should Instructors Require Discussion in Online Courses? Effects of Online Discussion on Community of Inquiry, Learner Time, Satisfaction, and Achievement

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Should Instructors Require Discussion in Online Courses? Effects of Online Discussion on Community of Inquiry, Learner Time, Satisfaction, and Achievement

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Research Article

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This article presents a synthesis of the theoretical and research literature on facilitating asynchronous online discussions
effectively.

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Cornell University Centre for Teaching Innovation

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How to integrate technology into the classroom: PowerPoint, Blackboard, Video, i>clickers, online discussions, ePortfolios, blended learning, survey tools, etc.

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CLASS SIZE AND INTERACTION IN ONLINE COURSES

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CLASS SIZE AND INTERACTION IN ONLINE COURSES

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Research Article from Nova Southeastern University

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UMass Faculty Handboo

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Blended Learning and a Sense of Community

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Blended Learning and a Sense of Community

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IRRODL

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Blended Learning and Sense of Community: A Comparative Analysis with Traditional and Fully Online Graduate Courses | Rovai | The International Review of Research in Open and Distributed Learning

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Blended Learning and Sense of Community: A Comparative Analysis with Traditional and Fully Online Graduate Courses

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Building Learning Communities in Online Courses : the importance of interaction

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Building Learning Communities in Online Courses : the importance of interaction

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Education, Communication, and Education

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Building Communication and Interaction Online

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Building Communication and Interaction Online

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George Washington University

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Online education can be so much more than the self-paced, "correspondence course" that you might first envision. Central to this idea is the need to create a community of learners in your online course. A strong online community keeps students engaged with the content, pushes them to think critically and articulate their ideas, and provides a supportive environment in which to do that. Arguably, the interaction in an online course can create a much stronger intellectual community than a traditional in-person class where some students can sit anonymously in the back of the room while the instructor lectures. How do you accomplish this?

To build a community among students, there are numerous tools that are available: discussions, collaborative projects, wikis, blogs, and real time (synchronous) sessions. How to choose?

First, identify your desired outcome: a good discussion? collaboration among students? reflection? sharing? getting help? Then, pick the tool that is most appropriate for your goals. The following brief presentations talk about this " purpose first, tool second " approach to designing online interactions.

Once you have chosen the interactive tool, set expectations for the level and extent of the interactions. Students will need clear directions and motivation to get involved. Decide if and how the interactions will be graded.

In online courses, for example, participation in an on-going Discussion Board is often included in a grading scheme at 10-25%, depending on the type of course. You want to give enough credit to underscore the importance of participation. Decide upon your role; an instructor must maintain a strong presence in the online classroom since students do not have the opportunity to interact with you in person. How will you interact with students in an online discussion? For group work, how can you check in and monitor progress, redirect students when necessary, and provide encouragement?

Starting the Semester

Just as you might do in a face-to-face classroom, set up your course to create a community from the start. In addition to your contact information, add your bio and a photograph. Include a welcome to the students, describing the journey you will be taking together, your expectations and goals for the course. Ideally, put this welcome in video format to give students a personal connection to you and the course.Give students the opportunity to meet each other. Many courses include a Discussion Board forum for "introductions" at the beginning of the semester, and there are alternative "ice-breakers" that can be used online as well.

During the Semester

Throughout the semester, continue to make connections with your students through the use of Announcements, weekly or unit introductions or summaries, synchronous sessions, surveys or polls.

Ending the Semester

Don't forget to bring your community together at the end of the semester to tie together all that you've learned.

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Building Community and Interaction Online | GW Libraries

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Online education can be so much more than the self-paced, "correspondence course" that you might first envision. Central to this idea is the need to create a community of learners in your online course. A strong online community keeps students engaged with the content, pushes them to think critically and articulate their ideas, and provides a supportive environment in which to do that.

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How To Make Online Courses a ‘Place’ for Learning

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How To Make Online Courses a ‘Place’ for Learning

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Online Learning Insights

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How To Make Online Courses a 'Place' for Learning

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I recently listened to a lecture 'The importance of place' from a Great Courses series on Cultural and Human Geography. The professor discussed the process of 'place-making' that occurs when humans interact with, and modify a physical space to make it their own. The result is a distinctive place with a unique culture shaped by...

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The Importance of Building Online Learning Communities

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The Importance of Building Online Learning Communities

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Colorado State University

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Taking an online course should be more than sitting in front of a computer - real engagement involves becoming a part of the community of learners.

Building Online Communities

Online learning communities can be educationally and personally fulfilling when students approach their courses with a commitment to initiate, respect, value, and fully engage in the material, dialogues, and group work. Much has been written about the importance of the relationship between students and faculty in online courses. More and more attention is being given to the tremendous influence of the online peer community.

The concept of peer learning recognizes that students are an important source of knowledge in addition to faculty and course material. Students are not passive receptacles to be filled with information, instead, they are active learners. Being a member of a learning community means engaging in reciprocal learning activities, soaking in new ideas and sharing perspectives and experiences to make meaning of the information. Learning happens through discussion, reflection, collaborative teamwork, and most importantly, taking initiative and responsibility to listen, question, and think critically within the community of fellow learners.

Asynchronous learning in online classes allows students to reflect and think about their responses prior to voicing them. Students learn a great deal by explaining their ideas to others and by participating in activities in which they can learn from their peers. They develop skills in organizing and planning learning activities, working collaboratively with others, giving and receiving feedback and evaluating their own learning. (Boud, Peer Learning in Higher Education)

Students Thoughts - Online Learning

In a previous article, I wrote about the characteristics of successful online students compared to those qualities needed for success in a residential classroom. Taking initiative to reach out to classmates in an online format may be one of the most important strategies for successfully building an online learning community. When I asked a number of online students to share their thoughts on the importance of peers in the online learning environment, and how they went about building online learning communities and relationships, they provided terrific insights:

These relationships help me when I am struggling in courses. Having strong relationships with my classmates is an important support system - they can totally relate to my experience.

Building a few supportive relationships with my classmates is critical because as an online student, it would be easy to miss the camaraderie that often exists in a traditional classroom. That same camaraderie online motivates and keeps me engaged in classes.

It helps to talk to someone else who has taken a class before me and can tell me what to expect, or discuss assignments and share insights.

My first semester I didn't "talk" (email, Facebook, etc...) to anyone outside of class and the work just seemed like work. It was interesting but it just didn't mean as much as when I finally made a significant connection with a classmate. Once I made that connection, I started to make others and realized what a difference it made in helping me feel more like a part of a community rather than a solo student doing homework online.

Having these relationships impacted my learning by giving me a more well-rounded and diverse experience. If you learn online only in your own bubble, you risk missing out on what your classmates can share with you. Additionally, it's comforting to know others are balancing jobs, families, and school just like me.

Help Build an Online Community

Encourage students to reach out to classmates with similar life circumstances as a first step in building relationships in the online learning community. Model how to read one another's discussion posts and follow up with additional probing questions. Lead students to share rich dialogues that enhance learning and relationships. I have found many online students share more and take more risks than in the residential classroom.

Introverted students have time to think and reflect on the material and their classmates' comments prior to constructing their own responses in online learning. Students may edit their comments before posting, as opposed to blurting out a response in a physical classroom that cannot be retrieved. The ideal online learning community is a safe space for risk taking, vulnerability, and sharing diverse ideas. Faculty and students share responsibility for creating and maintaining this learning environment.

To facilitate students engaging with one another, I created a "coffee shop" for my online courses. Students learn about one another, support each other through life stresses, and celebrate personal accomplishments. Over the years, I've heard stories of my online students traveling great distances to spend time together, attending one another's weddings, supporting classmates who are serving as caregivers for aging parents, and lifting up those going through various marital/familial challenges. Physically separated by distance, they are connected through their commitment to one another and to learning.

Online learning communities can be academically successful and personally life-changing when created, fostered, and sustained by all involved.

Updated July 1, 2020

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The Importance of Building Community in Online Classes

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Taking an online course should be more than sitting in front of a computer - real engagement involves becoming a part of the community of learners. Building Online Communities Online learning communities can be educationally and personally fulfilling when students approach their courses with a commitment to initiate, respect, value, and fully engage in the material, dialogues, and group work.

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How to Prepare and Moderate Online Discussions for Online Learning

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How to Prepare and Moderate Online Discussions for Online Learning

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Ontario Distance Education & Training Network

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How to Prepare and Make Online Discussions for Online Learning.pdf