My online classroom experience is limited, INSDSG 619 is the second course I have taken online. In my first online experience there was student-student interaction/contact via discussion boards and optional synchronous sessions, but of the class work was independent. I found it difficult to remain engaged and felt isolated and disconnected from my coursemates. Although we came together with a "shared purpose", minimal opportunities for collaboration existed which reinforced my feelings of isolation. Paloff/Pratt talked about collaboration being cyclical in nature, that collaboration supports the creation of community and community supports the ability to collaborate. For me, collaboration is essential in promoting community. Collaboration makes me feel more connected. I feel more a part of the group and a member of a team.
Factors that I feel contribute to a sense of community include trust, shared experiences, social presence, instructor presence, interactivity in small groups, group/team work that promotes shared goals and shared responsibility.
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1 comment:
Deb,
How about a toast to collaboration?! I agree that collaboration helps build the connection that supports an online community. The trick is to figure out how to design the assignments so that collaboration is easy and flows and is not frustrating and a big time sink (like so many complained about on the discussion board early in the semester).
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