A slide presentation by Burke Williamson for IT 648

Virtual Community

Does It Impact Online Learning?

Introduction

Technology has exploded over the past ten years.The impact of this explosion has reached into almostevery aspect of the way people live their lives.

Within the education community, however, technology hasproven itself a crucial tool for educators and learners.

Technology has progressedfar beyond its initial use asa way of displaying simple,static content.

Indeed, the continued development of Web 2.0 toolsencourages interactivity among content developers andusers.

Web 2.0

Writing about online fan fiction, Thomas concludes, “…peoplein the online…communities are writing collaborative texts…”(2006).

This kind of collaboration requires developers that makegood, useful tools and users who come together in an online“place” in order to commune.

How 2.0 WorksThe basic notion of Web 2.0 goes back to the waysin which current Internet technology differs from itspreceding technologies.

That is, static display vs. interactivity.

So What’s the Big Idea?

Without interactivity, online learning would basically beemail correspondence courses with instructors andteachers using messages to communicate.

In contrast, interactivity through Web 2.0 tools allowsa completely different and more valuable experience.

There are various forms of interaction used to facilitatelearning in the virtual classroom: instructor-student (email,chat, threaded discussion, feedback, grading, etc), student-student (email, chat, threaded discussion, etc.), and student-content (lectures, readings, assignments, etc).

Putting it Together

Mandernach, Dailey-Herbert, andDonnelli-Sallie, make the point that interactivity,or interaction, is possible in many forms (2007):

What 2.0 Can Do

Yan says that, “The new generation of Web2.0 solutions are easier to use, more engagingand are making a larger impact uponcollaboration and communication in theclassroom than complex technologies of the past” (2007).

It is a significant point that illustrates how more and moretechnology is becoming co-opted for use by educators andlearners.

Community

Community must be a planned portion of the curriculum inonline education.

Ascough reports, “The fostering of online community, as withthe fostering of in-class community, needs to be adeliberately designed component of the learningenvironment” (2007).

If You Build It, They Will Learn

Driscoll writes, “Technology such as onlinelearning communities is proving to offer amore dynamic learning experience, with directbenefit to students and teachers” (2007).

Obviously, this places a tremendous burden ononline instructors who must “get out ahead” of theclass and build it with knowledgeable, practicedhands.

You’re Only as Good as Your Equipment

Why put all this time and energy into courses? It ismuch easier to just populate a template withcontent, right?

Well, yes, it is easier.

But, consider what a well-built online community might offerstudents. Santovec reports, “Virtual learning communitiesallow students the ability to dialog together, whichcontributes to peer support (2004).

So, taking the time to construct good content pays off.

Payoff?

At times, the payoff can be downright lucrative asWestern Governor’s University discovered. Theydiscovered that online community buildingpositively impacted retention by a factor of eightypercent (Santovec, 2004).

Lock succinctly sums up the what online educatorsface as they enter cyberspace (2002):

The challenge is to integrate pedagogical andtechnological concerns through the design process topromote and foster the emergence of vibrant andstimulating learning communities.

The Tool BeltThe tools at educators disposal are many. Web 2.0 provides abroad platform of easy, at times free, and powerfultechnologies. We must be cautious, however, of employingthe latest tools just to be “cool.”

Bell warns thus (2005):Learning is what distinguishes the OLC [Online LearningCommunity]. Members of the community will develop newideas and skills that enable them to create change inthemselves and their organizations. Since learning alsooccurs in different ways, OLCs benefit from advancedcommunication technologies that support a variety oflearning styles and formats, from basic discussion boards tofar-more-sophisticated synchronous-learning environmentsthat allow for the Voice Over Internet Protocol (VoIP),desktop applications sharing, online polls and surveys,whiteboards, and, of course, computer slides.

What About “Reality?”

Do online courses have a place in more traditionalsettings? Educators have varying opinions.

MacDonald and Caverly make a persuasive argumentstating (2001):

Despite the fact that students in a web-enhanced classmay already know each other from their daily contact, it isstill important to build an online learning community. This isa time to build a sense of trust. Students need confidenceto try out their academic voices.

It’s All Greek to Me

The ancient Greek aphorism, “know thyself,”should echo through down through theyears and into the ears of even ouryoungest and most junior teachers.

Billings, Conners, and Skiba emphasize theimportance of assessment in when they write:

It is significant to remember that for the technology to beeffective, it must be driven by the pedagogic goals of thecourse or program. Used properly, emerging and mergingtechnologies can create powerful learning tools. As with anychange, we must continually assess the outcomes derivedfrom the use of technology in our educational practices.

ConclusionThe march of technology is not something that will be stemmedor slowed any time soon. Indeed, the wave of new andemerging technologies has yet to even crest!

As educators in a technological society, we must embrace thechallenges of the future. Indeed, if technology is a wave, wemust get off the beach and into the water.

Works CitedAscough, R.S., (2007). Welcoming Design - Hosting a Hospitable Online Course. Teaching theology and

religion, 10(3), 131-136. Retrieved July 23, 2008, from Academic Search Premier database.Bell, S. (2005). Creating Community Online. American libraries, 36(4), 68-71. Retrieved July 22, 2008, from

Academic Search Premier database.Billings, D., Connors, H., & Skiba, D. (2001). Benchmarking Best Practices in Web-Based Nursing Courses.

Advances in nursing science, 23(3), 41. Retrieved July 23, 2008, from Health Source: Nursing/Academic Edition database.

Driscoll, K. (2007). Collaboration in Today's Classrooms: New Web Tools Change the Game. MultiMedia andinternet at schools, 14(3), 9-12. Retrieved July 22, 2008, from Academic Search Premier database.

Lock, J. (2002). Laying the Groundwork for the Development of Learning Communities with Online Courses.Quarterly review of distance education, 3(4), 395. Retrieved July 22, 2008, from Academic SearchPremier database.

MacDonald L, Caverly D. (2001). Techtalk: Expanding the Online Discussion. Journal of developmentaleducation. 25(2), 36-38. Retrieved July 22, 2008, from Academic Search Premier database.

Mandernach, B.J., Dailey-Herbert, A., and Donnelli-Sallie, E. (2007). Frequency and Time Investment ofInstructors’ Participation in Threaded Discussions in the Online Classroom. Journal of interactivelearning, 6(1), 1-9. Retrieved July 23, 2008, from the Academic Search Premier database.

Santovec, M. (2004). Virtual Learning Communities Lead to 80 Percent Retention at WGU. Distance education report, 8(8), 4-4. Retrieved July 22, 2008, from Academic Search Premier database.

Thomas, A. (2006). Fan Fiction Online: Engagement, Critical Response and Affective Play Through Writing.Australian journal of language and literacy, 29(3), 226-239. Retrieved July 23, 2008, from AcademicSearch Premier database.

Yan, J. (2008). Social Technology as a New Medium in the Classroom. New england journal of highereducation, 22(4), 27-30. Retrieved July 22, 2008, from Academic Search Premier database.

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