Creating a Virtual Community: Using Digital Stories to Connect Classmates on Blackboard

Presenter:

Jane K. Cleland, Lecturer & Director, Program for Professional Communications, English, Lehman

Abstract:

Distance learning can be isolating. Without integrating activities to build community, crucial benefits of participating in a college course are at least partially lost. Beyond group projects, digital stories allow students to get to know one another quickly, and in a meaningful way. The assignment challenges students to (1) select a significant object and (2) say why. The stories can be informational, funny, and/or touching, but they’re always insightful and help build enduring relationships.