Online Learning Communities

Online Learning Communities

The construction of a learning community can help facilitate course outcomes and is the vehicle through which online education is best delivered.  Dr. Palloff and Dr. Pratt describe the necessary foundations required when constructing a learning community for online instructors.

How do online learning communities significantly impact both student learning and satisfaction within online courses?

Studies have shown that learning communities increase student satisfaction, perception of learning, create a social pressure to succeed and create stronger more viable outcomes.  A learning community is defined as a “community of students and faculty who explore content together to construct meaning and knowledge about the context”(Laureate Education, n.d). Both the student and facilitator are involved together to challenge as well as to support each other.  Online learning communities impact both student learning and satisfaction within online courses in a variety of ways.  Although the online learner is the focus rather than the facilitator, a learning community should create an environment where learners and facilitators are equal participants,  Learning communities create a sense of co-created knowledge and meaning, crafted through learner-to-learner engagement.  Through participant engagement, learners continuously reflect, increase their own self-direction, and reinforce their sense of presence within the learning community. 

What are the essential elements of online community building?

The essential elements of online community building include people, purpose (of the community) and process (the way in which the course is delivered) and supported with methods (the way people interact) and social presence (to be able to make a connection to others).  The various connections between elements assist in creating a solid support in the learning process. 

How can online learning communities be sustained?

To sustain an online learning community both the facilitators and learners must be an active participant within the community.  “It is everyone’s responsibility to create a successful learning community”(Laureate Education, n.d).  Sustaining an online community begins even before the first learner enters the classroom.  The facilitator needs to be familiar with the technology, make the course easy to navigate, and make the classroom feel warm and inviting.  After class has begun the facilitator should be present within the class often to support and to provide feedback to the learner in a timely fashion.  It may be beneficial for the learners participate in an orientation to familiarize themselves with the learning management system, allow the students to get to know each other, and to orient themselves with the philosophy of online learning.  Ultimately the learning community as well as the online classroom must be interesting, engaging, inviting, and provide the learner with a sense that they are being provided with the information required for success, student satisfaction.

Reference:

Laureate Education, Inc. (Producer). (n.d.). Online Learning Communities [video]. Retreived May 9, 2013 from https://class.waldenu.edu/webapps/portal/frameset.jsp?tab_tab_group_id=_2_1&url=%2Fwebapps%2Fblackboard%2Fexecute%2Flauncher%3Ftype%3DCourse%26id%3D_2651291_1%26url%3D