How do online learning communities significantly impact both student learning and satisfaction within online courses?
Online learning communities are the backbone of online learning, in my opinion. These communities form a network of students/teachers involved in similar projects and as such they allow students to interact and discuss related class topics with other students who are concurrently working on similar projects, etc. In this way I feel that this sort of set up can greatly enhance student learning, which will help student grades and retention and thus these two things will go hand-in-hand with ensuring that students are satisfied with the level of education that they are receiving as well as with communication between the teacher and with other students as well. So in turn all these things come together to benefit all students and teachers in an online community as the course of a semester progresses.
What are the essential elements of online community building?
First and foremost is communication within the community; without proper community communication things can get fragmented and thus become less enjoyable and useful for many members of the community. There should also be more than one method of communication available so as to allow community members to communicate effectively.
Secondly, the online community must be functionable. Programs that are easily navigable and that are user friendly, to an extent, should be chosen so as to make certain that all students are capable of being successful in said course.
Finally, all members of the online community must be made to feel like they are parrt of the group. This will allow for better, open communication and discussion as the semester wears on.
How can online learning communities be sustained? They can be sustained by updating and upgrading software so as to ensure that everything is up-to-date and also they must be managed-grades must be posted, e-mails, BB messages, and other correspondence must be answered on a regular time table, and all this must be done in a way that is set up early in a semester so as students/teachers know what to expect and thus they are satisfied and continue to participate because they can see the advantages of doing so.
What is the relationship between community building and effective online instruction? They go hand-in-hand. In my opinion, one does not really work without the other and vice versa. One is rather heavily predicated by the second, as it should be. Without this seamless transition from one to the other a program's problems stick out, rather than its successes.
Online learning communities are the backbone of online learning, in my opinion. These communities form a network of students/teachers involved in similar projects and as such they allow students to interact and discuss related class topics with other students who are concurrently working on similar projects, etc. In this way I feel that this sort of set up can greatly enhance student learning, which will help student grades and retention and thus these two things will go hand-in-hand with ensuring that students are satisfied with the level of education that they are receiving as well as with communication between the teacher and with other students as well. So in turn all these things come together to benefit all students and teachers in an online community as the course of a semester progresses.
What are the essential elements of online community building?
First and foremost is communication within the community; without proper community communication things can get fragmented and thus become less enjoyable and useful for many members of the community. There should also be more than one method of communication available so as to allow community members to communicate effectively.
Secondly, the online community must be functionable. Programs that are easily navigable and that are user friendly, to an extent, should be chosen so as to make certain that all students are capable of being successful in said course.
Finally, all members of the online community must be made to feel like they are parrt of the group. This will allow for better, open communication and discussion as the semester wears on.
How can online learning communities be sustained? They can be sustained by updating and upgrading software so as to ensure that everything is up-to-date and also they must be managed-grades must be posted, e-mails, BB messages, and other correspondence must be answered on a regular time table, and all this must be done in a way that is set up early in a semester so as students/teachers know what to expect and thus they are satisfied and continue to participate because they can see the advantages of doing so.
What is the relationship between community building and effective online instruction? They go hand-in-hand. In my opinion, one does not really work without the other and vice versa. One is rather heavily predicated by the second, as it should be. Without this seamless transition from one to the other a program's problems stick out, rather than its successes.
