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"Teachers who take into account students' cultural backgrounds, while being sensitive to the fact that not all young people from the same culture group think or respond in the same way, create favorable learning conditions in which students view themselves as capable and engaged learners" (Gillis, Boggs, and Alvermann, 2021, pg 53).

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Connective instruction

Academic rigor

Lively Teaching

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1. Students should receive instruction based on their assessed capabilities, not their weaknesses.

2. Material and methods should be chosen on the basis of flexibility and appeal to students' interests.

3. Students should plan an active role in setting goals and evaluating their progress toward those goals.

4. Alternative activities and materials should be available for students who require additional assistance.

5. Cooperative rather than competitive approaches to learning should be stressed.

(Gillis, Boggs, and Alvermann, 2021, pg 41).

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"The learning experience of every student and the effectiveness of every teacher is influenced by what goes on among and between people who populate the classroom" (Ehrman & Dornyei, 1998, p.5).

Intentionally building community within your classroom is a valuable endeavor and can enhance the climate of your classroom and learning and experience of your students. Whether your classroom is large, small, blended, or fully online, it is possible to strategically foster a strong community within your learning space.

What is community?

Community is built on relationships. The essential elements of a community, as defined in the realm of psychology, are membership, connection, influence, and needs fulfillment (McMillan, 1986). In the context of a university learning community, Rovai (2002) has identified two key elements: learning and connectedness, upon which grow the elements of a strong community.
Built upon Rovai's (2002) definition of community in the context of a university course.
Why is community important?

Building a community in your classroom is more than a warm feeling - it impacts the success of your students. A sense of community and positive classroom climate are related to student learning, persistence, and satisfaction.

Student Learning

A significant relationship has been identified between classroom community and perceived cognitive learning, learning engagement, and learning outcomes (Liu, Magjuka, Bonk & Lee, 2007; J. P. McKinney, McKinney, Franiuk, & Schweitzer, 2006; Rovai, 2002).

Student involvement and courtesy are positively related to affective learning and perceived cognitive learning (Myers et al., 2015).

Student-instructor and student-student connectedness in the classroom are linked to out-of-class communication and peer learning (Sidelinger, Bolen, McMullan & Nyeste, 2014).

Student Persistence/Retention

Students who feel alienated and alone tend to withdraw, while connectedness is related to persistence (Tinto, 1975, 1993).

Student Satisfaction

A positive relationship has been found between a sense of community and course quality satisfaction (Liu et al., 2007).

How can I foster community in my class?

Promote a Positive Classroom Climate

"I loved how [the prof] genuinely engaged with students before and after class, asked about student understanding and progress, and made class an enjoyable thing to go to (playing music before class, etc.)"
- Student feedback

Set the tone. As the instructor, you can model the actions and attitudes you want in your class - share your enthusiasm, respect for others, and civility.

Co-create expectations. On the first day of class, facilitate a discussion with your students specifically to identify positive behaviors and expectations that will help students feel safe, accepted, and valued. Consider creating a "Classroom Guidelines" list to post on your OWL site that you (and your students) can refer to during the term. This item may be of even greater importance for fully online classes, as Netiquette and engaging in a more formal, academic environment online may be new to some of your students.

Respond. Seek feedback from your students throughout the term, and promptly address any issues if they arise.

Stimulate Student-Student Interactions

Plan an Icebreaker. On the first day of class (and perhaps throughout the term), facilitate an activity that has students get to know one another in a fun, creative, relaxed way. For a large class, students can still introduce themselves and get to know those who sit around them. For an online class, get creative with the technology tools that allow students to interact with one another. Consider a VoiceThread (an OWL coursesite plugin) video introduction!

Build interactivity into learning activities. Working collaboratively not only keeps students engaged, but also allows students to learn more deeply, provide one another with feedback, and challenge one another. For an online class, explore the many interactive technology tools available to reach specific learning outcomes. For a large class, have students explain a solution to their partner prior to sharing a solution yourself. See Active Learning for further ideas.

Build interactivity into assessments. Would your students benefit from providing one another with feedback? Collaborating on a group presentation? Tapping one another's experiences? Create opportunities for your students to work together to create something great.

Engage with Students

"We not only learn more, we learn better [in collaborative learning settings]"
Student Comment (Tinto, 1997)

Be personable and approachable. Let students know how they can contact you. Chat with your students before/during/after class. Show your students you care. For an online class, consider using audiovisual interactions so students can see and hear you, rather than only reading your text.

Use student names. Learn your students' names as quickly as possible (ask for their preferred name and pronunciation) and use them regularly. Consider using name tents to learn student names. Even for large classes - try to learn a few names each class!

Accept questions. Make space for your students to ask questions and take action to respond to these questions. For an online course, consider creating a forum where students can ask questions and receive a response from you or their peers. For a larger class, use a short answer style question with an audience response software to gauge where students are struggling, and come back to the next class with extra support.

Questions?

If you would like to further discuss techniques for building community, please contact one of our educational developers.

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Western University, in vibrant London, Ontario, delivers an academic and student experience second to none.

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"Choice was the fourth element identified as essential for engagement" (Gillis, Boggs, and Alvermann, 2021, pg 52).

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"It's not just what you say or even just how you say it, it's also. who you are and what you're doing while you say it. It is not enough just to say the right lines" (Gillis, Boggs, and Alvermann, 2021, pg 43)

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"Classroom environments that honor diversity in language, culture, and learning and that respect adolescent learners' need for voice and choice provide empowering education for all our students" (Gillis, Boggs, and Alvermann, 2021, pg 56).