Online Learning Communities
Have you ever asked a group of friends an opinion question while hanging out together? I have, and it amazes me the amount of information one question can generate. Most people in the group have some frame of reference or experience they felt was relevant to the discussion. As a result, everyone who participated in the conversation learned something new or confirmed their understanding.
Online Learning Communities are very similar to the above-described experience. They are "a community of students and faculty who explore content together to construct meaning and knowledge regarding a subject" (Walden University, 2010) via distance learning. Within online learning communities, learners engage with their instructors and other students by sharing ideas and opinions (Walden university, 2010) through discussion boards, video conferencing, and group assignments. Three essential elements develop an online learning community: the people, the Purpose, and the Process.
The People consist of the instructor and the learners, who have a specific yet equal role in the online learning community. The instructors' task is to create a safe and comfortable environment where learners feel free to participate (Walden University, 2010). Participation is vital to the success of the course. Thus learners are expected to complete assignments and partake in discussions. This interaction develops the learning community's social presence or relationships (Walden University, 2010).
The Purpose is directly related to the developing social presence of the community. It is determined by how often learners interact with each other and the instructor. In this meeting of the minds, learners and instructors are challenged to think critically to co-create solutions, additional skills, and understandings related to the course (Research Shorts, 2017).
The Process is about how the course is delivered to encourage the interactions that make learning communities successful. Having an understanding of the principles and best practices of online learning communities is vital to the development of this component of the course or learning opportunity (Walden University, 2010).
References
Research Shorts. (2017, May 24). Creating a powerful fully online learning community [video file]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yk1kVbMfbXE
Walden University, LLC. (Producer). (2010). Online learning communities [Video file]. Retrieved from https://class.waldenu.edu
I like how you drew me in with a question. Even though I knew the information, I kept reading. Thanks for making yur post more personal.
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