Creating Online Discussions to Build Community

Online Discussion as a Community Building Tool

You may wonder why community is important for online students? Why can't a student just receive a content package from their instructor, finish the readings, submit their assignments, receiving grades, and call it done? These are actually real questions asked by some of our online instructors. 

Here're a few reasons why online community and discussion is indispensable for Webster online courses. 

• Motivation
  Online students need as much (if not more) motivation as they attend face-to-face class. A learning community motivates online students in various scenarios. The self-efficacy of students will be boomed when they see their peers achieve something that they aspire to. When they encounter difficulties in their study, they may receive specific help from their online classmates. When they feel alone sitting in front of a computer studying, the online community could be the stimulus to keep pushing them forward. There are no better places to make online community visible and tangible to students than the discussion forums. 
  
  
• Knowledge & Experiences Sharing
  We learn from the company we kept. Online students are not the mere receiver of knowledge. Students themselves are also providers of resources because of the unique personal experiences that they bring to the class. Instructors should encourage and provide ample opportunities for students to share knowledge and experiences with their peers. This would enrich the class experience. 
  
  
• Team Spirit
  Online students need to develop excellent teamwork spirit in order to be successful in their professional lives. It is impossible to develop team spirit without living and collaborating as a team. Because of the physical distance facing online students, it takes extra efforts and planning from instructors to help students develop the critical skills. Online discussion is one way to create a virtual collaborative environment for students to develop the teamwork skills. 
  
  
• Professional Networking
  After graduation, social network resources are as vital to students as the knowledge that they take away from online courses. Online discussion is a key way for students to build and expand their networks. The seeds of relationship sow in online community may grow into a tall tree of lifelong collaboration for students. So, never underestimate the power of online discussion. 

Where to Start?

You may start building a online community by inviting students to a self-introduction or ice-breaker activity at the beginning of the course, right after the instructor introduction page. In this discussion, help students understand the importance of participation in online learning, as well as appreciating the responsibility of each class member in maintaining an online community. 

Review the research with this document: Summary of Research - Online Threaded Discussions Download Summary of Research - Online Threaded Discussions

Aligning Discussion with Objectives

Online discussions come in different formats depending on your learning objectives. Here are a few example discussions that align with different levels of bloom objectives.  

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