This presentation discusses the processes I utilize to build learning communities in my online courses. Drawing on research literature on how best to design and conduct an online course that fosters community among learners who are physically separated, I use five main processes to build learning communities in my online courses. These processes are 1) building a learning community from the first day of the class, 2) using Web 2.0 technologies, 3) using threaded discussions, 4) pairing students in activities, and 5) encouraging collaborative activity. Intentionally using these processes has the potential to build and foster learning communities in online environments.

1. E-Learn 2013--World Conference on
Elearning in Corporate, Government,
Healthcare, and Higher Education
Las Vegas, NV, United States,
October 21-24, 2013

2. The Process of Building Learning
Communities in an Online Course
MariamAbdelmalak, Ph.D.
Curriculum & Instruction Department
College of Education

3. Agenda:
•
•
•
•
Overview
Why Is Building Communities Online Necessary?
How to Build Learning Communities in Online Courses?
A Practice for Building Online Learning Communities

4. Face-to-Face
Online Class

5. Why Is Building Communities Online Necessary?
• Positive learning outcomes (Sadera, Robertson, Song,
&Midon, 2009).
• Satisfaction with the learning experience (Rovai,
Wighting, & Lucking, 2004).
• Enhanced learning achievement (LaPadula, 2003).
• Sense of well being (Walker, Wasserman & Wellman,
1994; Wellman &Gulia, 1999).

6. How to Build Learning Communities in
Online Courses?

7. Building Communities from
the First Day of the Class
Discussions Forums
Building Learning
Communities
Online
Collaborative Activity
Web 2.0 Technologies

8. Building Community From the First Day of Class
• Developing ways to create a community of learners early
on in online environments (Dixon, Crooks & Henry,
2006; Palloff& Pratt, 2005; Conrad & Donaldson, 2004)
• Establishing “human-to-human contact before the
interaction involved with the course content begins, a
means by which presence can be established (Palloff&
Pratt, 2007, p. 12).

9. Discussions Forums
• Personalize and humanize the course (Palloff&
Pratt, 2007).
• Enable students to learn from each other (CarrChellman&Duchastell, 2000).
• Provide accessibility to each other’s thinking
(Peterson &Slotta, 2009).
• Enable students to participate even more than in live
classroom discussions (Paloff& Pratt, 1999; 2007).

10. Collaborative Activity
• Explaining reasons for including collaborative activity in
an online course (Palloff& Pratt, 2005) .
• Giving clear instructions and guidelines regarding the
tools of communication (Dell, 2004)
• Pairing learners for an activity (Conrad & Donaldson,
2004; Palloff& Pratt, 2005).
• Using contract among group members (Murphy,
Mahoney &Harvell, 2000; Doran, 2001).

11. Web 2.0 Technologies:
• Web 2.0 technologies can play an important role in
the development of a learning community among
students in online courses (Kearns &Frey, 2010;
Palloff& Pratt, 2009; Gunawardena et al., 2009).
• The inclusion of a variety of Web 2.0 technologies
can serve to facilitate the development of
communities in an online course (Palloff&
Pratt, 2009)

12. A Practice for Building Online Learning
Communities
Building Community From the First Day of
the Class

14. Discussion Forums with Well Crafted Questions

17. Using Web 2.0 Technologies

23. Pairing Students in Activities

26. Encouraging Collaborative Activity

32. Conclusion:
• We educators should intentionally work to build and
foster learning communities among students in online
courses. A review of the literature suggests that
instructors teaching at a distance may promote sense
of community by 1) building a learning community
from the first day of the class, 2) using Web 2.0
technologies 3) using threaded discussions, 4) pairing
students in activities before collaborative work, and
5) encouraging collaborative activities.

33. References:

34. References:

35. References:

36. Q&A
Thank You