“The development of a learning community in the distance education process involves developing new approaches to education and new skill in its delivery (Palloff & Pratt, 2007, p. 231). Developing community in distance education keeps a focus on student learning, what is essential for student growth. Learning together in this capacity creates a new level of excitement in learning and in education reform. Attending a course anytime from anywhere, student centered instruction, 24 hour a day access, and obtaining knowledge previously not available in textbooks, are some of the reasons why students enjoy online learning (Coleman, 2005). All of the participants in an online learning environment make up the community of learners. Grimes- Viort (2010) outlines steps necessary to build a successful, sustainable online community:
1. Ask the right questions – Why? Identify the needs you are trying to fulfill by offering an online space for interaction. Decide what resources you are going to allocate to support your project
2. Invite participation – Reach out to potential members
3. Don’t obsess about the platform – Focus on the purpose of the online community rather than the actual platform being used
4. Nurture early, release later – Major involvement towards beginning, guiding the group through example
5. Taking things offline – By putting participants in a room together, you are providing a platform for them to have more meaningful and effective interactions
6. Big up your members – When one of your community participants achieves, celebrate it
7. Allow for granulation – At the beginning the community space will address a particular topic or activity. Let your community naturally split itself up; forced sub-groups are bad, organic ones are good.
8. Involve your community – Reach out and invite your growing community to take part in the operations to develop loyalty.
9. Be firm but fair – Set the tone, provide guidelines for behavior
10. Commercialize carefully – Leverage your growing community
References
Coleman, S. (2005). Why Do Students Like Online Learning? Retrieved from http://www.worldwidelearn.com/education-articles/benefits-of-online-learning.htm
Grimes-Viort, B. (2010). 10 Steps to Building Successful Online Communities. Retrieved from http://blaisegv.com/community-management/10-steps-building-successful-online-social-media-communities/
Palloff, R. & Pratt, K. (2007). Building Online Learning Communities: Effective Strategies for the Virtual Classroom. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.
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