Claire Burgoyne

Essay Proposal

Creating Community in an Online Course

When students participate in a community of learners they engage in activities that allow

them to incorporate new knowledge with existing knowledge leading to meaningful learning. The formation of online communities separate online courses from correspondence courses and contribute to student satisfaction, and higher rates of success in online learning. (Drouin, 2008; Liu, Gomez, Yen, 2009; Liu, Magjuka, Bonk, Lee, 2007).
To ensure successful online communities course developers and teachers must consider a

range of issues including, students ease of use with communication tools, teachers online social skills, student to student connections, and clearly communicated expectations for content and instructor response times (Ouzts, 2006; Santhiveeran, 2005). In a well designed course with a skilled teacher students can be directed through three stages that begin with introductions, proceed to community building by participating in threaded discussion, and result in the formation of a network of connected learners (Brown, 2001).
Successful online communities can be created by designing opportunities for learners to

connect in meaningful discourse. Course designers need to have a clear understanding of effective online design while instructors must understand the role they play in motivating students to participate in the options provided. I propose structuring this essay as follows: Social learning theory - communities of learners Benets of community in online courses - student retention rates - student satisfaction & achievement Creating community in an online course - communication tools and ease of use (forums for sharing individual ideas and receiving feedback, forums for discourse, wikis, glossaries for collaborative efforts, synchronous communication in group projects) - student experience - teachers social skills - well dened expectations
1

Claire Burgoyne

Essay Proposal

References Anderson, T. (2008). Toward a theory of online learning. In T. Anderson & F. Elloumi (Eds.) Theory and Practice of Online Learning, Chapter 2 (pp. 45-74). Available online at: http:// www.aupress.ca/books/120146/ebook/02_Anderson_2008_Anderson-Online_Learning.pdf Blocher, J. (2005). Increasing learner interaction: Using jigsaw online. Educational Media International, 42(3), 269-278. Retrieved from EBSCOhost. Brown, R.E. (2001). The process of community-building in distance learning classes. JALN, (5) 2. pp 18-35. Deepwell, F., & Malik, S. (2008). On campus, but out of class: An investigation into students experiences of learning technologies in their self-directed study. ALT-J, Research in Learning Technology, 16 (1). pp. 5-14. Drouin, M. A. (2008). The Relationship between Students' Perceived Sense of Community and Satisfaction, Achievement, and Retention in an Online Course. Quarterly Review Of Distance Education, 9(3), 267-284. Edwards, M., Perry, B., & Janzen, K. (2011). The making of an exemplary online educator. Distance Education, 32(1), 101-118. Retrieved from EBSCOhost. Falvo, D. A., & Solloway, S. (2004). Constructing community in a graduate course about teaching with technology. TechTrends: Linking Research & Practice to Improve Learning, 48(5), 56-64,. Retrieved from EBSCOhost. Fung, Y. H. (2004). Collaborative online learning: Interaction patterns and limiting factors. Open Learning, 19(2), 135-149. Retrieved from EBSCOhost

Claire Burgoyne

Essay Proposal

Ku, H., Lohr, L., & Cheng, Y. (2004). Collaborative learning experiences in online instructional design courses. Association for Educational Communications and Technology, Retrieved from EBSCOhost. Liu, S. Y., Gomez, J., & Yen, C. (2009). Community college online course retention and nal grade: Predictability of social presence. Journal Of Interactive Online Learning, 8(2), 165-182. Liu, X., Magjuka, R. J., Bonk, C. J., & Lee, S. (2007). Does sense of community matter? An examination of participants' perceptions of building learning communities in online courses. Quarterly Review Of Distance Education, 8(1), 9-24. Ouzts, K. (2006). Sense of community in online courses. Quarterly Review Of Distance Education, 7(3), 285-296. Perry, B., & Edwards, M. (2005). Exemplary online educators: Creating a community of inquiry. Online Submission, Retrieved from EBSCOhost. Santhiveeran, J. (2005). Building online communication into courses: Possibilities and cautions. Computers In The Schools, 22(1-2), 43-55. Schwartzman, R. (2006). Virtual group problem solving in the basic communication course: Lessons for online learning. Journal Of Instructional Psychology, 33(1), 3-14. So, H. J. (2009). When groups decide to use asynchronous online discussions: Collaborative learning and social presence under a voluntary participation structure. Journal of Computer Assisted Learning, 25(2), 143-160. Retrieved from EBSCOhost. Tu, C., & Corry, M. (2003). Designs, management tactics, and strategies in asynchronous learning discussions. Quarterly Review of Distance Education, 4(3), 303-15. Retrieved from EBSCOhost.