Online Community
I think one valuable component that is missing online is the community environment. I feel that it was a vital part of my success as a student to have a sense of "community" and to a lesser degree even a sense of "competition." Online students miss the opportunity to "hang out" and commiserate with other students in their classes and to share thoughts and ideas spontaneously.
When I did my mentoring for my online students I encouraged them to try to find other students in their area to meet up with or to form an online community of some kind. Since that time another instructor set up a Facebook site for them to utilize as a place to share thoughts and ideas. I still think a "realtime" exchange would be more valuable such as a chat room session.
However, I still feel that nothing replaces those relationships forged over coffee and cramming for finals.
Hi Jill,
I am excited to hear that there is a facebook account which accomodates students. Is it open to all students or to students of a particular class, i.e. Theory I, II or speed classes? Thanks so much, Roxanne :)
I agree. This was true for me as an undergrad (a lifetime ago!) and in grad school.
However, as ED 102 discusses, many students are enrolled in on-line classes to further themselves (or re-invent themselves) in specific careers. They may miss out on the peripheral educational experience, but they are very focused on a target - eyes on the prize, so to speak - and are more than willing to forego the things you've mentioned.
We are living in an age where social networking online has become the norm. This form of communication among online students is encouraged for the means of developing study groups, which helps aid in the success rate of the average student. Although, some feel that online students are missing out on the face to face experience, online interaction is were many companies are choosing to conduct business remotely. This process is helping the student become familiar.
Are you using social networking in your class to develop an online community within your class? If so, can you explain further Chris?
I think a twitter account for the class is a great idea. You probably have to make sure it is ok with your administration, as many schools have different policices about social media and professors/students. However, you could consider a private twitter account that students only would have access to. "Following" the account should be optional, but for those students that did decide to follow you could "tweet" announcements, deadlines, and sometimes just interesting "in the news" items that pertain to course content.
I agree that Twitter could be a great tool to use to communicate messages to students. One way to reach students is to communicate to them using the same method they use. Many students are on Twitter, Facebook and, of course, use text messaging all the time. All of these are potential ways to reach out to students. Thanks for your post Jane.
I am new to online teaching. I have been reluctant to participate in online teaching and have not really encouraged students to take classes online. However, it is time for me to change my view and dive in as it is certainly here to stay. The sense of community that students experience, I think, is vitally important or at least it was when I was in college. I watch my students now interact during and after class and it seems to help them become involved in learning, in their college, in their chosen field, and with each other. I am interested to learn more about how to foster this type of community in an online environment. Thanks. David
First, welcome to online teaching David. It can be a great experience and add another dimension to your teaching arsenal.
There are several suggestions throughout this class as well as in the discussions in terms of creating that sense of community you are referring to, but a few of my favorites are:
1. The first week of class, post a biography of yourself. In the biography, include some fun facts about yourself, along with the important information like credentials and experience.
2. Have the students complete a biography about themselves the first week of class and have them post it in the discussion board. Students will read it and begin to make connections.
3. Create discussion questions that promote rich dialogue between the students. Remember, discussions are something students participate in every week and can result in some terrific interaction.
4. Even though the course is online, you can still create group assignments. Just as it is with residential learning, group projects do have their drawbacks, but one of the advantages is students get to know each other.
Good luck David!
