Walden’s video this week entitle “Online Learning Communities” presented Dr. Rena Palloff and Dr. Keith Pratt indicated that the creation of an online learning community can help facilitate course results and is the vehicle in which online learning is best delivered. In this video, Dr. Pallof and Dr. Pratt described the basis of creating a learning community for online facilitators.
How do online learning communities significantly impact both student learning and satisfaction within online courses?
The online learning communities significantly impact both student learning and satisfaction within online courses in a variety of ways. First, learning community is defined as an effective group of learners who supports one another in the learning process in order to explore the content in the course as well as to construct knowledge and meaning about the subject. It is stressed in this video that in order to create dynamic learning communities the facilitators and learners must be equal participants. Consequently, in the online learning community, the focus of intent is on the learner instead of the instructor. The online learning communities emphasize the learning process by assisting collaborative learning by interactively sharing experiences and knowledge. As Bruner (Conrad & Donaldson, 2004) points out, “development is intrinsically bound up with interaction” (pg. 4). The online learning community should by supported by the facilitator by means of a learning community approach. The course regulations of engagement should be obviously affirmed in order that the learner and facilitator are conscious of the course anticipation on input and other essential activities.
What are the essential elements of online community building?
As revealed by Dr. Pallof and Dr. Pratt, the essential elements of an online learning community are people, purpose, process, method, and social presence. The people are recognized as the learners and facilitators, yet the purpose is identified as the learning objectives of the course. In a learning community you will find common trust, mutual values, social interaction, and a manner of accommodating one another. A learning community is comprised of learners of geographical locations with diverse cultural values. The social presence is the student’s sense of presence in the midst of the group and the emotion that they fit in and become an engaged learner. The relationship is accomplished when the students covet learner to learner interaction as well as learner to instructor interaction. The learning community should be set up to provide the students with easy navigation and technology that are inviting to the learners. The learning environment must be accessible for millennial learners as well as “digital immigrants” identified as adult learners; nevertheless, a slower pace is recommended for adult learners. The students should be welcomed to class preferably by means of a welcome letter emailed to every student in the class as well as post it in the class. An icebreaker activity can also be utilized to kick off learner interactivity in a common and enjoyable approach.
How can online learning communities be sustained?
Recommendation of a new student orientation is essential so that learners become acquainted with each other and the course learning system. This will also promote the learners to become familiar with the login portal and the fundamental principles of distance learning structure. The online learning community can be sustained if the student has accomplished positive learning and a sense of belonging in the virtual learning environment. Facilitators of online courses are often engaged in a variety of activities planned to uphold the online learning even though it may not always seem clear to the learners. The instructor should be involved in the whole process. At the start of the course, facilitators must be endlessly measuring levels of participation, and detecting when a learner unexpectedly withdraws, perhaps signaling a need for a slower pace plus seal gaps in the individual student’s academic experience. Facilitators can reinforce the learning community as needed by scheduling live chat or conference calls over telephone. As Palloff & Pratt point out, instructional designers can ensure that the construction of a course upholds the wellbeing of the online community (2011).
What is the relationship between community building and effective online instruction?
Effective online instruction is very much encouraged by the online learning community. Although information is offered by books, nevertheless group interaction constructs connection among course content and prior knowledge. Constructing and upholding a online learning is essential in an online course.
References
Conrad, R., & Donaldson, J. A. (2004). Engaging the online learner: Activities and resources for creative instruction. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.
Laureate, Inc. (n.d.). Online Learning Communities [Video podcast]. Retrieved from http://sylvan.live.ecollege.com/ec/crs/default.learn?CourseID=5364570&Survey=1&47=6469801&ClientNodeID=984650&coursenav=1&bhcp=1
