This week I am beginning a new course for my Master's degree in Instructional Design. I'm finding that "a learning community can help facilitate course outcomes and is the vehicle through which online education is best delivered." This quote comes right from this week's blog assignment.
Here are the questions and my responses.
- How do online learning communities significantly impact both student learning and satisfaction within online courses?
From the theory of constructivism, "learning involves transforming and internalizing the social environment" (Ormrod, Schunk, & Gredler. 2009. p. 196) of a learning experience. This concept is expanded by Rena Palloff and Keith Pratt in this week's video, by explaining that exploring content together in a community "construct meaning and knowledge about that content" (Laureate Education. 2010. 00:56 ).
- What are the essential elements of online community building?
- You need content, an instructor or facilitator, and the participation of everyone in the community. The facilitator is just as important as the learners (02:00).
- The environment must be safe.
- Students need to be aware that a learning community is being created. They need to not expect the instructor to be as in front as in a traditional course but nevertheless very involved.
- You need content, an instructor or facilitator, and the participation of everyone in the community. The facilitator is just as important as the learners (02:00).
- How can online learning communities be sustained?
- The facilitator sets it up well with an orientation.
- The facilitator monitors the interactions and intervenes if necessary.
- Each learner participating is very important. When learners stop participating the learning community dies.
- The facilitator sets it up well with an orientation.
- What is the relationship between community building and effective online instruction?
- The learning community bridges the distance between each student and the content and the instructor.
- The learning community bridges the distance between each student and the content and the instructor.
Since my professional focus is on just-in-time training for software users, creating a community of learning is not the same for me as it would be if I were part of a team supporting distance education for an institution. However, I see again and again the effects of community in forums about software. In fact, I have seen a movement toward software support systems being placed in social context where users comment on issues, answer questions between each other, and so on. Examples of this trend can be seen at desk.com and zendesk.com.
References
Laureate Education (Producer). (2010). Online learning communities [Video file]. Retrieved from https://class.waldenu.edu
Ormrod, J., Schunk, D., & Gredler, M. (2009). Learning theories and instruction (Laureate custom edition). New York: Pearson.
Hi Gary,
ReplyDeleteYolymar from EIDT 6510 commenting in your post.
I do agree with you about the learning community being the bridge that connects the instructor and the learning helping it be less far away than it seems. I always thought that although distance learning is, indeed, at a distance the learning community makes it feel comfortable and less isolated that it is. When I enter in the discussion board and read all the comments my classmates made to my very own post, I can feel like if it were so near me that I forget that we are a distance. It is important that the instructor make all this available to the class and that make it feels like "home". I always love when I have instructors that make me feel very comfortable and close, I appreciate it very much.
Regards,
Yolymar
Hi Gary,
ReplyDeleteYou mentioned very interesting ideas about how a learning community is a relevant social context where each participant is important and where each contribution builds knowledge through interaction, “learning communities create a dynamic where facilitators and learners are equal” (Laureate Education, 2010)
I think something that is very important in any community either in person or online, is to give each member of the community his place, and make him feel unique and special, but in an online environment is much more important, because here is easier to lose the human touch.
In this week´s video, there were some interesting recommendations for instructors where indicate that when you set up your learning communities you must:
- make the classroom feel warm and inviting rather than cool and formal
- visit the classroom multiple times per day during the first two weeks.
- Being more personal when introducing yourself, as equal at interact with them
I am sure that first interaction leaves a more lasting impression, and the first days and early indications are those more significant “Engaged learning is a collaborative learning process in which the teacher and student are partners in constructing knowledge and answering essential questions” (Conrad & Donaldson, 2011, p. 6)
Elisa Flores.
References,
Conrad, R., & Donaldson, J. A. (2011). Engaging the online learner: Activities and resources for creative instruction (Updated ed.). San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.
Laureate Education (Producer). (2010). Online learning communities [Video file]. Retrieved from https://class.waldenu.edu
I wondered where you would take this in your line of work. Do your courses have facilitators? If not, would the set up of your courses be the ambiance and personality? It can't be devoid of style or flair or your pupils will fall asleep. The interesting thing about courses with facilitators is that the course itself may be constructed soundly but with a facilitator that doesn't take the job seriously, it could be messed up for some people. A lot of people can see past the facilitator so maybe a poor facilitator isn't a death sentence to the course if it is needed.
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