by Eric Ritholz, Online Learning Coordinator at the Office of Educational Technology
The design and delivery of an online class is more than organization, content, and schedules. The online class (or shell) is an integral hub for developing a sense of community.
In an in-person learning environment, students interact before, during, and after classes.
Recognition and sense of belonging are essential to learning regardless of modality, and even more so in times of increased uncertainty. Nurturing a dynamic that includes the instructor and the students helps to establish a learning experience that motivates and inspires.
Please consider how you would go about doing this. Towards that end it is recommended that you read this article:
Community from a Distance: Building a Sense of Belonging in an Online Classroom
Prof. Kari Henry Hulett, Oklahoma State University Institute of Technology
With permission of the author, I am including excerpts of the article below:
Community by Design
Humans do not learn in a void; learning is a social event. When I approach designing an online course, I always put community building first on my priority list. I build community by including two primary methods of interaction: weekly discussions and periodic conferences. Those two components make a difference in both the students’ sense of community and rapport with me as well as with their classmates.
| Strategies for Building Online Community |
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Faculty Student Consultation:
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