RSA 3: A Study of Students' Sense of Learning Community in Online Communities

RSA 3:  A Study of Students’ Sense of Learning Community in Online Communities

A Study of Students' Sense of Learning Community In Online Communities        

            In the reading this week, chapter one titled, “When Teaching and Learning Leave the Classroom” discusses the types of online classes as well as the strengths and weaknesses of them.  Online courses can be designed in a variety of ways.  Some may be completely online, others can blend online and face-to-face class time, sometimes called a hybrid course, while a third type meets mainly face-to-face, but with technology incorporated to enrich the class.  Regardless of the type of online course, strong interactions are paramount to its success; interactions between the teacher and the students as well as amongst the students themselves.  Furthermore, the students’ interactions must include collaborative work (Palloff and Pratt, 2007). 

            Both the student and the instructor need to realize that an online course also entails certain considerations.  Working collaboratively with others creates a vastly different situation than teaching in a traditional classroom.  A student or instructor who may not be effective in a face-to-face situation may, in fact, thrive in an online class.  The opposite scenario may be the case as well.  Those that succeed at face-to-face teaching and learning may not be suited for online distance learning (Palloff and Pratt, 2007). 

            Threaded discussions are a suggested means to create a community within online courses.  Threaded discussions can help student not only understand and analyze class topics, but can foster the development of “presence” within the class.  The authors also discuss the true definitions of presence and interaction within an online course.  They state that simply interacting in discussions does not necessarily mean that the student feels connected to the class or classmates (Palloff and Pratt, 2007).  Two key elements in creating a community is “collaborative learning and reflective practice” (p. 17).  Ultimately, an environment must be created by the instructor so that the students feel safe and comfortable to participate freely.

            Chapter two delves into the true meaning of community.  We often think of community as a group of people living in close proximity.  The authors want to extend that definition to groups of people working together online.  However, community is not merely a group of people working together, but rather a group of people connecting through shared interests and shared values resulting in a feeling of belonging (Palloff and Pratt, 2007).   It is this sharing of both professional and personal interests that fosters an effective online community as well.

            Discussion in this chapter also analyzed the reaction to online interactions.  For example, introverts may be more comfortable in the virtual world because they can take more time to process information and formulate their response.  On the other hand, an extrovert may feel more comfortable in face-to-face interactions due to the need for social presence (Palloff and Pratt, 2007).  The authors do point out that social presence can be established through effective online collaboration and discussion. 

            Chapter three addresses the many issues that arise when creating an online community.  One such issue is the difficulty of expressing one’s feelings online.  People can sometimes assume that others will understand the meaning of their words and be a little careless in what they say.  Also, online communication can create a sense of anonymity thus creating a situation where people make comments online that they would not otherwise say face-to-face.

            The lack of human contact is another issue that affects the success of some online participants.   Many people rely on the visual and auditory cues from others and feel isolated or less connected from the group without it.  Synchronous interactions, audio files, and video files can help resolve this situation. 

            One other topic discussed in chapter three is the development of roles within the group.  As the online communities progress, so do the roles that participants take within them.  Some may become the mediator to help resolve issues within the community while others may be helpful in moving the conversation along.  All of these role developments are indicators that the community is becoming more cohesive and effective. 

            Whatever the issue is, (i.e. need for human contact, connectedness and coalescence, shared responsibility, rules, and norms, roles and participation, psychological issues, psychological expression, spiritual issues, culture and language, or vulnerability, ethics, and privacy) it needs to be dealt with swiftly and definitively.

            Peter Shea wrote an article in the Journal of Asynchronous Learning Networks that discusses the importance of the learning community in the development of an effective online environment (Shea, 2006).  Shea analyzed a study of two thousand three hundred fourteen college students from thirty-two different colleges taking online courses.  The reports centers around the learners’ “sense of community” (p. 35).  Some of the very same essential elements of effective online communities that Palloff and Pratt discuss in Building Online Learning Communities are mirrored in Shea’s article (Palloff and Pratt, 2006).  For example, Shea concludes that “directed facilitation, instructional design and organization on the part of their [the students’]  instructor contributes to their sense of shared purpose, trust, connectedness, and learning—core elements of a community of learners” (Shea, 2006, p.35).  Palloff and Pratt agree that well laid out guidelines and procedures be set for the course much like Shea speaks about directed facilitation and instructional design and organization.  Palloff and Pratt also speak about the importance of shared interests and values in chapter two of their book.  In fact, they point out definitions of online communities have included descriptions of “mutual trust, a connection of the spirit, a sense of belonging, a sense of membership, a sense of support, and an ability to share educational journey together” (Palloff and Pratt, 2007, p. 26).  Overall, both articles agree that a well-directed and collaborative community with personally vested members is necessary when developing effective online courses.

References

Palloff, R. M., & Pratt, K. (2007). Building online learning communities: effective strategies for the virtual classroom (2nd ed.). San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.

Shea, P. (2006). A study of students’ sense of learning community in online environments. Journal of Asynchronous Learning Networks, 10(1), 35-44.