{"id":626,"date":"2019-05-14T22:16:56","date_gmt":"2019-05-14T14:16:56","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/networkconference.netstudies.org\/2019Curtin\/?p=626"},"modified":"2019-05-14T22:34:28","modified_gmt":"2019-05-14T14:34:28","slug":"online-course-community-a-strong-support-for-online-learning-courses","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/networkconference.netstudies.org\/2019Curtin\/2019\/05\/14\/online-course-community-a-strong-support-for-online-learning-courses\/","title":{"rendered":"Online course community: a strong support for online learning courses"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
19276421-fei_zhao-conferenec_paper_final_draft<\/a>Download<\/a><\/div>\n\n\n\n

Abstract<\/strong>: Online learning course is\nbecoming increasingly popular in the world. It gives students more options and\nflexibility to choose their courses and arrange their study time. It is also\ncheaper and faster for a student to get a degree or certificate. With the booming\nof online courses, online communities for learning also increase rapidly. Online\ncommunity plays a very important role in online learning course, because most\nof communications, discussion and posts that relate to online learning are happening\nin the online communities. This conference paper will argue that online course\ncommunity is a strong support for online learning courses.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Keywords<\/strong>:\nonline learning course, online community, learning efficacy, higher education<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Introduction<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In the twenty-first\ncentury, people can nearly have access to the Internet anytime and anywhere.\nWith the help of convenient mobile Internet<\/a> devices, a growing number of\nstudents start to enroll in online learning courses. A report conducted by\nAllen and Seaman (2012) shows that the online learning courses enrolment has\nincreased from 0.57 million students in 2012 to 6.7million students in 2013 in\nAmerica, and 32% of students in all colleges and universities are registered in\nat least one online course. Similarly, a study shows that online learning course\nis increasing rapidly at the higher education in Canada, and the enrollment of\nonline learning courses is growing faster than that of on-campus course (Hirshhorn,\n2001). Online learning courses refer that courses are provided online, the\nteacher and the students don\u2019t need to meet in a physical place and the\nactivities of teaching and learning is processed online.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

One of most distinctive\ncharacteristics of online learning course is that students and teacher do not\nneed face-to-face communication, student usually use a computer to receive\nlearning materials, and most of learning activities and interactions between students\nand teachers and other students take place in online communities.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The word of \u2018community\u2019\nusually refers to geographic concept. According to the book of Marshall, Dictionary\nof Sociology published in1998, there are two elements in this concept, one is a\ngroup of people within a similar structure and another is a consciousness of a\nsocial structure. But now the meaning of community is changing from geographic\nconcept into various relationship concepts. The meaning of online course\ncommunity usually refers to that a group of people share learning materials and\nexchange ideas about academic questions of a course through the Internet, most\nof the learning activities happen in the Internet (Phirangee<\/a>,\n2016). <\/p>\n\n\n\n

With\nthe increasing growth of online course enrollment in most universities, online\ncourses are also facing various of problems, such as the low quality of\nteaching, ineffective learning process, poor learning content, the lack of\ninteractivity between online learners and instructor as well as the lack of\nineffective communication between online learners in a online learning\ncommunity. In order to help online learners to have a more effective learning\nexperience, many instructors are encouraging online learners to spend more time\non interactions and discussion with other students. In addition, a number of\ninstructors try to build a sense of online course community, which means a\nsense that can help online learners to have trust between online learners and\ntheir teachers as well as interactivity between them. It is also believe that a\nstrong sense of online course community will reduce the feelings of isolation,\nwhich is the main reason of many online learners dropping out from online\ncourses. It is highly suggested by many instructors that a strong sense of\nonline course community could help online learners find the trust in teachers\nand confidence to learn in an online course. Communication and interaction between\nan instructor and students are vital parts for a successful online learning\ncourse.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The importance of online course\ncommunity for an online learning course<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

    The success of an online course depends on\nwhether or not there is an effective and supportive online course community,\nthe interactions in online course community can contribute to a more effective online\nlearning process. In addition, online course community can give students time\nto organize their thoughts and words before they post their ideas and opinions\nin the online course community. Students will have a better chance to understanding\nof what they have posted, what the difference is between their posts and other\nstudents\u2019 posts, who they are posting for, and how to improve their next posts\nby interacting with others as well as teachers in the online course communities.\nThe process of the above interactions in online course community can assist\nstudents share their thoughts and perspectives, and it also creates chance that\ncould lead to new knowledge (Comeaux, 2002). <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Another important\nfunction of online course community is that it could help to reduce the feelings\nof disconnection and isolation. The online course communities is usually set up\nby the online course provider. The reason why online students may feel\ndisconnected and isolated is that the physical separation of online learners\nand the lack of interactions between online learners as well as the lack of\nmeaningful interaction between online learners and their instructor (Carr, 2000). This is also the main reason\nwhy a number of online learners drop out of online learning course in high\neducation level (Angelino, Williams,\n& Natvig; 2007). Online course community is a solution to\nthe main problem of online learning course and a useful tool for online\nteaching. Most of online learning activities take place in online course\ncommunity, so how to maintain a strong connection between students and the\nonline course community is vital for an online learning course. A strong sense\nof online course community can attract online students to spend more time and energy\non the activities of online course community. Thus a strong sense of online\ncourse community can help students to build the trust and social relationship\nbetween online learners (Blanchard\n& Markus, 2004), and it can also minimize the possibility of isolation and\ndropping out from an online learning course.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

An online course\ncommunity is also possible to help online learners to achieve good academic\noutcomes. According to Lyon (1970), the most effective way to learn is that the\nlearners\u2019 achievements, feelings and emotions are respected and valued by the\npeers and instructors. The function of online course community is like a\nclassroom or a lecture in an on-campus course. The online learners can share\ntheir ideas and answers at anytime and anywhere. Unlike the on-campus course,\nyou do not need to wait for your group member arriving to start a discussion,\nyou can start a discussion at any time as long as you have time to engage in an\nonline course community. This is a more effective way to learn and get an\nacademic feedback. Many important improvements could happen in an online course\ncommunity as students are more engaged in the activities of online course\ncommunity. They can deepen their understandings and thinking by sharing views.\nIn an active online course community, students are more likely to build the\nhabit of reviewing their own ideas from a new perspective by sharing and\ndiscussing their thoughts and experiences (Salmon,\n2000). By practicing the learning process in that way, there is a higher\npossibility of that it will lead to a better academic outcomes.\n\nA strong sense of belonging\nin online learning community is also a powerful motivation for online learners.\nOnline course community is not just an online place for online learners to meet\nbut also a most important part for motivate online learners, it gives them a\nsafe cyber space to review and develop their ideas. Though the process of\nreviewing their own ideas and analyzing other online learners\u2019 ideas, the\nstudents on an online course community can develop an emotional and academic\nsupport for each other (McMillan & Chavis 1986). \n\n\n\n<\/p>\n\n\n\n

How to build an effective\nonline course community<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

An\neffective online course community is that the communication between online\nlearners and the teachers is effective. There are five factors that can\ncontribute to fostering an effective online course community, they are valuing\nidentities, promoting interaction, sharing personal experience, developing\nshared interests and supporting group members (Phirangee, 2016).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

     The first factor,\nvaluing identity, is that the online learners can feel that they are members of\nonline course community, and they also need to feel that their identities are\naccepted and respected in an online course community. The acceptance means that\nthe online learners can be recognized and share their questions without feeling\nembarrassed because it is necessary for the online learners that they can get\nsupport from their online classmates and instructors. Once an online learner\u2019s\nidentity is accepted by the online course community, then he or she can start the\nlearning activities with other members in the online course community. In these\nlearning activities, the online learners have chances to engaged in diverse\nideas and learn about others\u2019 community identities.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The second factor is interaction, it is a most important part for\nbuilding an online course community. This factor contains a number of\ninteractions, including joint activities, assessment discussion and emotional\ncommunications. There are three different interactions that contribute to\nsupporting the online learning (Phirangee, 2016): learner to content\ninteraction means the online learners have chance to access learning materials\nand produce new ideas by combining with their own knowledge; learner to learner\ninteraction means that online learners can discuss with community members about\nthe learning materials in order to foster au understanding and build an active\nonline course community; finally, the online learner to instructor interaction\nmeans that the online learners communicate with their instructors to obtain feedback.\nA study (Swan, 2001) show that if the online learners have a higher level of\ninteraction in an online course community, they are more likely satisfied and\nfeeling that they have learned more than those who have a lower level of\ninteraction in an online course community. In addition, the interaction with\nlearning materials, the instructor and online classmates are necessary for\nonline learners to have a positive attitude and meaningful online course\ncommunity. Effective interaction can help online learners have a better\nunderstanding of the learning materials and provide them personal satisfaction\nand enjoyable online course community. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

     The third factor is\nshared interests. It means that the online learners have common interests and\nacademic purpose and practices. A research suggests that the online learners\nare more likely to be motivated to review and reconsider their own thoughts\nfrom a perspective (Salmon, 2000). Thus in order to develop and maintain an online\ncourse community, the instructor should try to help online learners to find\nmore shared interests.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    The fourth factor is\nsharing personal information. It means that the online learner should share\ntheir personal learning experience and express their views, thoughts and\nemotions, this will help online learners to deepen their academic ideas and\nexpend the knowledge of the selected online course. If the online learners are\nable to share their emotions about the online course and community, it will\nhelp the online learners to foster trust between online learners, which will\nenhance the online course community. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

    The fifth is the supporting and helping from\nteachers for the online learners in the online community, which means helping\nthe online learners to build a strong personal relationship with each other and\ncultivate online learning; having an interest in other online learners and\nwilling to help other online learners. This also needs the instructor to encourage\nonline learners to support, guild and motivate all line learners by different\nonline course activities. The instructor should encourage online learners to\nsupport each other\u2019s learning to achieve their academic goals.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Conclusion<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Online\neducation is increasing rapidly in higher education, it is also leading to that\nthere is more enrollments in online courses than on-campus courses (Hirshhorn, 2011). A number of\npost \u2013secondary school have put lots of financial resources on online course\ndevelopment in order to attract the increasing number of online learners and\nonline course enrolment (Hew, 2015). \n\nA number of articles\nhave emphasized that a successful online learning course is based on the\ninteractions between instructor and students. The instructor should spend more\ntime on planning and designing the structure of online learning course and the\nonline course community to promote students to have more interests in sharing\nideas and discussing questions. It is more valuable for students on an online\ncourse to get a solution or an answer from the interactive learnings with other\nstudents online than directly from an instructor, because it will encourage\nstudents to develop the ability of analysis and communication during the\nprocess of interactive learning. In the future, the online course community\nwill continue to play in important role in helping online learning courses to succeed.<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Reference<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Anderson, C. (2008). Barriers and enabling factors in\nonline teaching. The International Journal of Learning, 14<\/em>(12), 241-246.\ndoi:10.18848\/1447-9494\/cgp\/v14i12\/45556<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Angelino, L. M., Williams, F. K., & Natvig, D.\n(2007). Strategies to engage online students and reduce attrition rates.\nJournal of Educators Online, 4(2), 1-4.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Allen, I. E., & Seaman, J. (2013). Changing course: Ten years of\ntracking online education in the United States. Sloan Consortium. PO Box 1238,\nNewburyport, MA 01950<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Carr, S. (2000). As distance education comes of age, the\nchallenge is keeping the students. The Chronicle of Higher Education, 4(23),\nA39-A41<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Comeaux, P. (2002). Communication and collaboration in the online\nclassroom: Examples and applications (2002). In Comeaux P. (Ed.), Anker\nPublishing Company, Inc., P.O. Box 2247, Williston, VT 05495-2247. Retrieved\nfrom https:\/\/search-proquest-com.dbgw.lis.curtin.edu.au\/docview\/62289801?accountid=10382<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Hew, K. F. (2015). Student perceptions of peer versus instructor\nfacilitation of asynchronous online discussions: further findings from three\ncases. Instructional Science, 43(1), 19-38.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Hirshhorn, R. (2011). Assessing the economic impact of\ncopyright reform in the area of technology-enhanced learning. <\/em>Retrieved\nfrom http:\/\/www.ic.gc.ca\/eic\/site\/ippddppi.nsf\/eng\/h_ip01074.html<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Lyon, H. C. (1971). Learning to feel-feeling to learn:\nHumanistic education for the whole man<\/em>. Columbus, OH: Charles E. Merrill\nPublishing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Marshall, G. (1998). A Dictionary of Sociology<\/em>, (p.97-98). Oxford:\nOxford University Press<\/p>\n\n\n\n

McMillan, D. W., & Chavis, D. M. (1986). A sense of\ncommunity: A definition and   theory. Journal\nof Community Psychology<\/em>, 14(1), 6-23.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Phirangee, K. S. (2016). Exploring the role of community in online\nlearning (Order No. 10192383). Available from ProQuest Central; ProQuest Dissertations\n& Theses Global; Social Science Premium Collection. (1868415786). Retrieved\nfrom https:\/\/search-\nproquest-com.dbgw.lis.curtin.edu.au\/docview\/1868415786?accountid=10382<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Swan, K. (2001). Virtual\ninteraction: Design factors affecting student satisfaction and perceived\nlearning in asynchronous online courses. Distance Education,<\/em> 22(2),\n306-331.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Salmon, G. (2000). E-moderating: The key to teaching and\nlearning online. London: Kogan Page.
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Abstract: Online learning course is becoming increasingly popular in the world. It gives students more options and flexibility to choose their courses and arrange their study time. It is also cheaper and faster for a student to get a degree or certificate. With the booming of online courses, online communities for learning also increase rapidly.… Continue reading Online course community: a strong support for online learning courses<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":88,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-626","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/networkconference.netstudies.org\/2019Curtin\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/626","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/networkconference.netstudies.org\/2019Curtin\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/networkconference.netstudies.org\/2019Curtin\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/networkconference.netstudies.org\/2019Curtin\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/88"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/networkconference.netstudies.org\/2019Curtin\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=626"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/networkconference.netstudies.org\/2019Curtin\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/626\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":630,"href":"https:\/\/networkconference.netstudies.org\/2019Curtin\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/626\/revisions\/630"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/networkconference.netstudies.org\/2019Curtin\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=626"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/networkconference.netstudies.org\/2019Curtin\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=626"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/networkconference.netstudies.org\/2019Curtin\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=626"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}