ABSTRACT
Good communication remains fundamental to teaching an engaging, satisfying online course. This chapter will feature research regarding the unique importance of communication and community to online student success, followed by advice on how to create and implement your own learning community, and troubleshooting strategies. As you proceed through this chapter, consider that the word communication is closely related to another word, equally important for online education: community. It is undeniable that individuals who utilize electronic media of en create and foster feelings of community and togetherness. Just a peek at the burgeoning relevance of online social communities like Facebook indicates that many of our online psychology students may already be establishing their own virtual social groups and finding identity and meaning within them. Successful participation in your online class may potentially evoke the same types of feelings of community and engagement. after all, researchers have of en defined participation as akin to belonging to a community (e.g., Jaldemark, Lindberg, & Olofsson, 2006). More specifically, imagine a cyclical form of engagement between collaboration and community, where participation enhances feelings of community, and feelings of community in turn heighten participation (Pallof & Pratt, 2005). So, how does participation in online courses evoke community and vice versa?
