Building Online Learning Communities

Effective Strategies for the Virtual Classroom

Rena M. Palloff, Keith Pratt

• Publisher: Jossey-Bass
• Year: 2009
• Print ISBN: 9780787988258
• eBook ISBN: 9780470605462
• Edition: 2
• Topic: Education
• Subtopic: Inclusive Education

Building Online Learning Communities further explores the development of virtual classroom environments that foster a sense of community and empower students to take charge of their learning to successfully achieve learning outcomes. This is the second edition of the groundbreaking book by Rena Palloff and Keith Pratt and has been completely updated and expanded to include the most current information on effective online course development and delivery. A practical, hands-on guide, this resource is filled with illustrative case studies, vignettes, and examples from a wide variety of successful online courses. The authors offer proven strategies for handling challenges that include:

• Engaging students in the formation of an online learning community.
• Establishing a sense of presence online.
• Maximizing participation.
• Developing effective courses that include collaboration and reflection.
• Assessing student performance.

Written for faculty in any distance learning environment, this revised edition is based on the authors many years of work in faculty development for online teaching as well as their extensive personal experience as faculty in online distance education. Rena M. Palloff and Keith Pratt share insights designed to guide readers through the steps of online course design and delivery.

PART ONE

The Learning Community in Online Learning

chapter ONE

When Teaching and Learning Leave the Classroom

In the last ten years, significant change has occurred in online learning. Once viewed as a less rigorous, softer, easier way to complete a course or degree, faculty a now realize that the time involved in the development and delivery of a high-quality online course is substantial, and students are now realizing that completing courses and degree programs online is hard work. There is no longer a need to spend time defining what online distance learning is or is not; it is now commonplace in higher education and is gaining popularity in the K-12 arena as well. Ten years ago, we were trying to decide what constituted distance learning and asked questions such as, “If the class meets face-to-face two or three times during the term, is that a distance learning course?” Today we know that distance learning takes several forms, including fully online courses, hybrid or blended courses that contain some face-to-face contact time in combination with online delivery, and technology-enhanced courses, which meet predominantly face-to-face but incorporate elements of technology into the course. In addition, academic institutions are experimenting with time schedules that depart from the traditional semester or quarter in order to more effectively deliver online classes.

It is not unusual now to see six-week intensive courses or courses with flexible start and end dates. If we examine all the ways in which distance learning is occurring now, it is possible to state that almost every course delivered via some form of technology is a distance learning course. There is one important element, however, that sets online distance learning apart from the traditional classroom setting: Key to the learning process are the interactions among students themselves, the interactions between faculty and students, and the collaboration in learning that results from these interactions. In other words, the formation of a learning community through which knowledge is imparted and meaning is co-created sets the stage for successful learning outcomes.

Ten years ago, the notion of building community online was seen as “fluff ” or just one more thing an instructor might pay attention to in the delivery of an online course. However, much research has been conducted in recent years regarding the importance of community in an online course and in online teaching in general (Garrison, n.d.; Rovai, 2002; Rovai and Jordan, 2004; Shea, Swan, and Pickett, 2004; Wenger, 1999) and, further, into the concept of social presence, defined as the ability to portray oneself as a “real” person in the online environment (Gunawardena and Zittle, 1997; Picciano, 2002; Richardson and Swan, 2003; Rovai and Barnum, 2003). The findings of these research studies and others have supported our notion that the key to successful online learning is the formation of an effective learning community as the vehicle through which learning occurs online. Adams and Sperling (2003) note that the community building process embedded in online courses has helped transform teaching and learning in higher education. Some of the changes they describe for students include greater availability and accessibility of information, engagement of different learning styles, and promotion of increased responsibility for teaching and learning. The changes faculty are experiencing include greater accessibility to and availability of information but also encompass the development of new skill sets for teaching and the need to rethink pedagogy, redefine learning objectives, reevaluate assessment, and redefine faculty work roles and culture.

We also see these changes in a number of college classrooms today, not just in online classrooms. And we continue to learn more about how people learn. Carol Twigg (1994b) indicated that many students are concrete-active learners, that is, they learn best from concrete experiences that engage their senses. Their best learning experiences begin with practice and end with theory (Twigg, 1994b). Many instructors, seeking to improve their practice and the learning outcomes for their students, have incorporated active learning techniques such as working collaboratively on assignments, participating in small-group discussions and projects, reading and responding to case studies, role playing, and using simulations.

These practices transfer well into the online classroom. However, instructors need to be diligent and deliberate in ensuring their success. When learners cannot see or even talk to each other, the use of collaborative assignments becomes more challenging but far from impossible. (We offer suggestions for implementing collaborative learning techniques in the online classroom in Chapter Eight.)

Learning in the distance education environment cannot be passive. If students do not enter into the online classroom—do not post a contribution to the discussion—the instructor has almost no way of knowing whether they have been there. So students are not only responsible for logging on but they must also contribute to the learning process by posting their thoughts and ideas to the online discussion. Learning is an active process in which both the instructor and the learners must participate if it is to be successful. In the process, a web of learning is created. In other words, a network of interactions between the instructor and the other participants is formed, through which the process of knowledge acquisition is collaboratively created. (See Chapters Eight and Nine for a discussion of collaborative learning and the transformative nature of the learning process.)

Outcomes of this process, then, should not be measured by the number of facts memorized and the amount of subject matter regurgitated but by the depth of knowledge and the number of skills gained. Evidence of critical thinking and of knowledge acquired are the desired learning outcomes. Consequently, cheating on exams should not be a major concern in an effective online environment because knowledge is acquired collaboratively through the development of a learning community. (The assessment of student performance in this environment is discussed in Chapter Ten.)

Institutions entering the distance learning arena must be prepared to tackle these issues and to develop new approaches and new skills in order to create an empowering learning process, for the creation of empowered learners is yet another desired outcome of online distance education. Successful online teaching is a process of taking our very best practices in the classroom and bringing them into a new, and, for some faculty, untried, arena. In this new arena, however, the practices may not look exactly the same.

Take, for example, a recent discussion with a professor in a small college where a distance delivery model was being implemented for a master’s degree program. A software program was chosen and a consultant hired to install it on the college’s server. There it sat for almost a year until the college decided to begin using it more extensively. Because of our expertise in faculty training and development for the delivery of distance education programs, we were consulted about the best way to improve a program that was not working very well. The professor informed us that the software had been used by a couple of instructors for a couple of courses. However, with further inquiry, we discovered that a course syllabus had never been posted online in any of these courses; nobody knew that an extensive faculty handbook for course development and delivery was embedded in the software. All they had been doing was using this potentially powerful software package as an e-mail system rather than for creating a distance learning environment. Was distance education and learning really happening here? No, of course not. So what does it take to make the transition from the classroom to the online arena successfully? What are the differences we face in this environment? And finally, what issues do we need to be concerned with? We answer the last question in the next section through a discussion of the issues and concerns related to online education. The answers to the other questions follow in subsequent chapters.

ONLINE ISSUES AND CONCERNS

When instructors begin to use technology in education, they experience a whole new set of physical, emotional, and psychological issues along with the educational issues. Many of these issues relate to the development of social presence. As we struggle to define ourselves online, we may experience emotions and try out behaviors that have not been part of our repertoire. The new issues also include the physical problems that can be experienced as the technology is used extensively, such as carpal tunnel syndrome, back problems, headaches, and so forth. Psychologically, students and faculty can become addicted to the technology. In fact, there are now centers devoted to the study and treatment of Internet addiction. Students and faculty can begin to fantasize and experience personality shifts while online, and their minds can drift. They may have a difficult time setting reasonable boundaries and limits around the amount of time they spend online. We have not had to address these issues in the traditional classroom, but we must do so as we teach online because they affect the ways learners interact with each other and with course material. In the traditional classroom, if a student experiences mind drift it may not be noticeable to the instructor or to the other students in the class. The student may be physically present but psychologically absent. In the virtual classroom, however, if a student drifts away, that absence is noticeable and may have a profound impact on the group.

Online learning has brought a whole new set of issues and problems into academics; as a result, instructors and their institutions have had to become more flexible and learn to deal with these problems. Professors, just like their students, need the ability to deal with a virtual world in which, for the most part, they cannot see, hear, or touch the people with whom they are communicating. Participants are likely to adopt a new persona, shifting into areas of their personalities they may not have previously explored. For example, an instructor, like a student, who suffers from performance anxiety in the face-to-face classroom may be more comfortable online and more active in responding to students. A colleague of ours who has wanted to teach for several years and who feels that he has a contribution to make is very nervous about entering a classroom and facing a group of students. He has been offered several opportunities to teach because of the expertise he would bring to a learning situation, but he has resisted. When offered an opportunity to teach online, however, he accepted readily, acknowledging that the relative anonymity of the medium feels more comfortable for him. The idea of being able to facilitate a discussion from the comfort of his home office was very appealing to him, whereas doing the same thing face-to-face was intimidating. However, the opposite may also be true: an instructor who does well face-to-face may not be successful online. We were told the story of an accounting professor who was extremely personable in his face-to-face classes. To assist students in memorizing difficult concepts, he would compose songs and play them in class, accompanying himself on his guitar. He was approached to teach online but resisted strenuously because he did not feel he could adequately transfer his musical approach to accounting to the online environment, even with the use of attached audio files. His first attempt at online teaching was not well-received by students and he decided not to continue with online teaching. Just as all instructors are not successful in the classroom setting, not all will be successful online. It takes a unique individual with a unique set of talents to be successful in the traditional classroom; the same is true for the online classroom. The ability to do both is a valuable asset in today’s academic institutions.

STUDENTS ONLINE

Some attributes make students successful online when they are not in the face-to-face classroom. For example, what about the introverted student? Will such a student, who does not participate in the face-to-face class, blossom in the virtual classroom? Research conducted by one of us indicates that an introverted person will probably become more successful online, given the absence of social pressures that exist in face-to-face situations. Conversely, extroverted people may have more difficulty establishing their presence in an online environment, something that is easier for them to do face-to-face (Pratt, 1996).

The Illinois Online Network (2006) describes the characteristics of successful students in distance education programs:

• Open-minded about sharing life, work, and educational experiences as part of the learning process

• Able to communicate through writing

• Self-motivated and self-disciplined

• Willing to “speak up” if problems arise

• Able and willing to commit four to fifteen hours per week per course

• Able to meet the minimum requirements for the program (that is, this is not an easier way to meet degree requirements)

• Accept critical thinking and decision making as part of the learning process

• Have access to a computer and a modem (and, we add, at least some minimal ability to use them)

• Able to think ideas through before responding

• Feel that high-quality learning can take place without going to a traditional classroom (para. 2)

Nipper (1989) described the successful learner in an online environment as a “noisy learner,” one who is active and creative in the learning process. This and other, similar references led many to believe that distance education is best applied to and seen as most successful in the arena of adult education. However, more high schools, colleges, and universities are using this delivery method with all groups of students regardless of age or level of educational experience. Should we expect that all students will succeed in this environment? Although a student who is unsuccessful in the face-to-face classroom may do well online, it is unrealistic to expect that all students will do well. When a student does not perform well, as evidenced by lack of participation, he or she should be given the option of returning to the face-to-face classroom. This should not be considered a failure but simply a poor fit. Changing to another delivery medium is not usually an option in the face-to-face classroom; there may be no other alternatives. The online classroom provides an alternative that may be useful for some students.

In our experience, online distance education can successfully draw out a student who would not be considered a noisy learner in the traditional classroom. It can provide an educational experience that helps motivate students who appear to be unmotivated because they are quieter than their peers and less likely to enter into a classroom discussion. Take the example of an Asian student, Soomo, who participated in one of our online classes on the topic of management and organizational theory. He introduced himself to the group in the following way. We have not changed his writing; we wanted his struggles with language to be apparent.

And one of my problems, it’s my responsibility, English is not my native language so I’m still struggling with learning English. I’ll try hard but everyone’s consideration will be appreciate regarding this matters in advance. I’m also see myself with introvert style. And feel uncomfortable to talk by on line.

By his own admission, he was generally a quiet member of face-to-face classes. Although he wanted to share, his struggles with English and the extroverted nature of his classmates left him silent, though actively listening to discussion. As our online course continued, his posts to the discussion were frequent and indicated a depth of thought. The following is his contribution to a discussion of Reframing Organizations by Bolman and Deal (2003):

My understanding for the human resources frame is that this frame focuses on the fit between individual and organization. In this point of view, I can think about the “manager’s job and the organization theory.” The potentially disastrous consequences can be avoided, however, if the manager commands a sound knowledge of the organization theory. This theory can help him or her make quality decisions and successfully influence others to carry them out. It can help improve decision quality by making the manager aware of the various components of organization theory. To understand how they fit together as an explanation of the activity of the organization provides a perspective for seeing a decision’s consequences. . . . . Better quality decisions coupled with more effective implementation through better understanding of individual and group behavior can bring improved performance to the organization. I think it’s important that a manager (management group) ensure that its members have exposure to organization theory.

Personally, I don’t like the word “Frame.” Because it means, in other words, “easy to break.” Some organizational changes are incremental. They entail incorporating new technologies with existing missions and strategies. Organizational growth and redirection may also be incremental, but not necessarily. Other organizational changes are frame breaking. The risks are high, and events happen quickly. This usually means a change in the organization’s goals and operations. Organizational start-ups and mergers are likely to be frame-breaking experiences.

Most of this student’s contributions to the discussion throughout the course were of this nature. He received feedback from other students regarding the thoughtfulness of his contributions and his ability to help them look at ideas in another way. Generally quiet and concerned about his language skills in a face-to-face classroom, this student was able to overcome all of this in the online environment and make significant contributions to his...

Table of contents

• Title Page
• Copyright Page
• Table of Exhibits
• Dedication
• PREFACE TO THE SECOND EDITION
• Acknowledgements
• THE AUTHORS
• PART ONE - The Learning Community in Online Learning
• PART TWO - Teaching and Learning in the Virtual Learning Community
• APPENDIX A: EXAMPLES OF COURSE SYLLABI
• APPENDIX B: - GLOSSARY OF TERMS USED IN ONLINE EDUCATION
• APPENDIX C: - INTERNET RESOURCES FOR ONLINE EDUCATION
• REFERENCES
• INDEX