Title: Building Connectedness in Online Learning
Author Name: Jackie Slaton
Selected Case (Published Article):
Woods, R., & Ebersole, S. (2003). Using non-subject-matter-specific discussion boards to build connectedness in online learning. American Journal of Distance Education, 17(2), 99-109. https://doi.org/10.1207/S15389286AJDE1702_3
1. Introduction
To expand student enrollment, universities strategically develop online learning programs to attract students seeking a more flexible and accommodating academic experience. These hybrid or fully online programs serve as an effective means for universities to boost their revenue budgets and broaden their impact by catering to a diverse student population, regardless of geographic location. Removing geographical barriers in online and remote learning opens doors for students from different cities and states to enroll in academic programs that fit their schedules, especially appealing to nontraditional students juggling full-time work, family responsibilities, and other commitments that hinder in-person attendance.
Wood et al. explore the challenges and advantages of building a learning community within online classrooms, acknowledging the challenges posed by anecdotal or small-sample research. Despite these obstacles, the research emphasizes the crucial role of a learning community in fostering successful faculty-student interactions, yielding positive outcomes on both individual and institutional levels. The authors propose leveraging the students’ desire to form a community with their instructors and peers as a motivational tool. Various strategies, including building a connected or social presence or a sense of community with community spaces like “virtual cafés,” are examined to cultivate a sense of community and encourage peer interaction. Dr. Min Kim’s LT 8000 course at Georgia State University exemplifies this practice, creating meeting spaces for class interactions on iCollege, the university’s Learning Management System.
2. Overview of the Case
This article delves into the challenges and advantages of establishing an engaging learning community in an online classroom environment that allows students to form and feel part of an academic community. The research focuses on courses taught online by the authors at the following universities – Regent University, Indiana Wesleyan University, and the University of Southern Colorado. The study addresses key challenges, including building positive faculty-student and student-student relationships, fostering a greater sense of online community, and enhancing overall satisfaction with the learning experience. The four areas studied included (1) building a positive faculty-student relationship, (2) building positive relationships among fellow students, (3) fostering a greater sense of community online, and (4) contributing to a higher degree of satisfaction with the overall learning experience.
The authors measured the impact of personal discussion folders on connectedness, identifying the most frequently used folder that resulted in positive student feedback toward the course and a sense of community and satisfaction. Recognizing the hurdles of distance learning, the study highlights the importance of using online tools and strategic communication strategies, such as creating community spaces/rooms, including personal discussion folders, to create interpersonal connections and establish a supportive online learning environment. The findings highlight the effectiveness of tailoring these tools to meet student’s specific needs and preferences in addressing the identified challenges and promoting connectedness in online learning.
3. Solutions Implemented
The solutions identified for building connectedness in online learning included creating personal discussion folders within the online classroom setting. The significant ideas associated with these solutions include the recognition of the importance of creating a learning community, leveraging students’ predisposition to seek or identify with the concept of “community,” and employing diverse strategies to foster a sense of connection.
The course professors created personal discussion folders tailored to students’ needs and preferences. These folders, such as autobiographies, prayer requests, devotionals, and cybercafes, serve as virtual spaces where students can share background and personal information, discuss relevant topics, and connect. The research emphasizes the importance of online immediacy, audio e-mails, and instructor-initiated communication to build connectedness. These approaches aim to create a sense of presence and engagement in the online environment, mitigating distance challenges and fostering more meaningful interactions. Non-subject-matter-specific discussion folders, like “virtual cafés,” encourage group interaction, and they serve such purposes as allowing students to share personal introductions, profiles, and discussions on diverse topics. Autobiographies emerged as a frequently used folder, breaking the ice and providing a safe environment for initial interactions.
4. Outcomes
Performance improvement in online learning enhances the overall effectiveness, engagement, and satisfaction of students and faculty within the virtual classroom. The research study by Wood et al. sheds light on the positive impact of introducing personal discussion folders, such as autobiographies and prayer requests, on students’ connectedness and community within the online learning environment. Implementing these folders resulted in increased participation, positive student feedback, and a heightened feeling of community and support among students. Sharing personal information and engaging with peers were crucial in fostering positive sentiments toward peer connections. Notably, autobiographies emerged as the most utilized folder, with a frequency nearly twice that of prayer requests, ranked second with a frequency of 86. This finding highlights the significance of allowing students the space to share personal narratives, contributing significantly to developing a supportive online community.
5. Implications
This study is essential for universities searching to expand their online programs to create learning environments that allow students to feel part of a community. Administrators should create a learning environment that will enable students’ interactions to increase and support their goals and motivation, offering programs and resources that increase students’ interactions socially and academically. Students who feel a sense of belonging in their learning environment are likelier to stay until completion.
The study suggests that implementing personalized discussion folders, such as autobiographies and prayer requests, can significantly improve the online learning experience by fostering a sense of community and connectedness among students. Leveraging students’ predisposition to seek or identify with the concept of “community” can be a powerful motivator for learning. Instructors can use this inclination to encourage student participation and engagement within the online classroom. The findings emphasize the importance of tailoring communication strategies, including discussion folders, to align with students’ preferences. This personalized approach can contribute to a more positive online learning environment. The study underscores the need for ongoing research and evaluation to identify effective community-building methods in online classrooms. This commitment to constant improvement aligns with online education’s dynamic nature and students’ evolving needs.
Limitations of the study include the reliance on anecdotal evidence and a relatively small sample size. While the findings provide valuable insights, they may only partially represent broader online learning contexts. More research on this topic should include the participation of more students, particularly more diverse students. Also, the study examined graduate online courses at institutions, which limits the generalizability of the results. Different courses, student demographics, or universities might yield different outcomes.
References
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Tinto, Vincent. (1993). “A Theory of Individual Departure from Institutions of Higher Education.” In Leaving College: Rethinking the Causes and Cures of Student Attrition, 84-137. Chicago: University of Chicago Press.
Yee, A. (2016). The unwritten rules of engagement: Social class differences in undergraduates’ academic strategies. The Journal of Higher Education, 87(6), 831-858.