What makes a successful online learning community?
The development of online learning communities sees a massive shift in culture and practice from traditional classroom based education. Allan describes an online community as 'a group of people, each with different expertise and with access to diverse resources, in which a sharing occurs so that individuals within the group can benefit from each other' (Futurelab, 2010).
(See Futurelab article for further information.)
Whilst the use of this medium has numerous advantages, a learning community will not reach it's maximum potential unless essential factors are taken into consideration. McConnell (2006) states that 'participation in a collaborative task helps maintain efforts to keep up the level of exchanges in the debate.' Therefore it can be said that a successful community must allow for active participation and debate amongst the learners. Where:'Participation refers to the process of taking part and also to the relations with others that reflect this process. It suggests both action and connection' (Wenger, 1998:55).
So how is this promoted? Key factors are:
1. Inclusion of opportunities for collaborative working.
2. Encouragemnent to participate.
Opportunities for collaboration
VLEs can accommodate a wide range of activities which require collaboration between learners and tutors. These include synchronous and asynchronous tools.
Examples of these are:
Synchronous
Skype calls
Chat sessions
Whiteboard
Audio
Synchronised web browsing
Asynchronous
Discussion forums
Blogs
Wikis
Caleb Clarke suggests that the online environment 'must provide the means to communicate social cues and information' and that 'online learning communities grow best when there is a value to being part of them.' (Futurelab, 2010)
Therefore also important to consider will be the motivators and needs of the online learners to enable them to participate and build the online community.
Extrinsic Motivators
Learners may be graded on level of participation or contribution towards collaborative learning.
In this case the value being the successful completion of the programme and the benefits this will bring, academically and professionally.
'There is a strong theoretical basis for predicting that co-operative methods which use group goals and individual accountability will increase student achievement.' (Slavin, 1990:16)Therefore creating group projects where individual learners must contribute to achieve the end result, creates motivation and value.
Intrinsic Motivators
It is essential for any learner to be intrinsically motivated for learning to be successful.
In an online community context this requires firstly a feeling of belonging to the group.
Maslow confirms that learning activities must ensure learner's esteem, belongingness and self actualisation needs are met. (Petty, 2004).
The intrinsic value here being the learning and sharing of ideas between peers.
'Achievement motivation, which gives an opportunity for ego enhancement, and social motivation, which is concerned with what people value, can be added to the categories of extrinsic and intrinsic motivation.' (Goodyear et al. 2004:181)Thus design of the tools for successful collaborative learning and participation need to consider motivation and value, as well as the ease of access and relevance to the participants. Tasks that require learners create content (user generated content) and relate content to personal practice encourages the social element. Whilst relating to current practice ensures relevancy and value for the learners.
A sucessful online community could be summarised by the following diagram:
