Question+4+Community+building


 * __Building presence, enhancing connectivity, and building community__ **


 * Many of the instructors talked about the importance of creating a “community of **
 * learners,” which is a well-known challenge in online education (Brufee, 1999; Harasim, Hiltz, **
 * Teles, & Turoff, 1998). To create this community, the research participants shared their **
 * experiences of establishing “social presence,” also known as a feeling of connection and **
 * community among individuals (Short, Williams, & Christie, 1976). One instructor summed up **
 * what many discovered: **


 * A lot of people are afraid that replacing seat time with online is going to diminish the **
 * quality of the relationship – whether it is teacher-student or student-student. And actually **
 * I have to say from my experience it is contrary to that… I get more quality interactions **
 * and feedback from the students ... which then helps increase my connection to them. **


 * Study findings indicate that when a positive climate is created, hybrid environments have **
 * the potential to increase and extend connectivity and to build relationships even more so than in **
 * traditional or online courses. **


 * __Community Building__ **


 * Although some of the instructors were concerned about losing the personal touch with **
 * students, others related how they were able to get to know their students even better in a hybrid **
 * course. The majority of the instructors said students were more conversational “and more open” **
 * online than they were in the classroom. Plus, students who normally did not speak up in class **
 * participated online. For example, when talking about personal subjects like dating, religion, and **
 * sexuality, the psychology instructor was surprised how “comfortable” students were sharing **
 * personal information. Many of the instructors also explained how these frank conversations **
 * started online and carried over into the classrooms where strong “friendships formed.” In **
 * addition, students “were more willing to participate in class” because they were “warmed up by **
 * the fact that they have already been contributing to the discussions online.” The three instructors **
 * who incorporated group work in their hybrid courses said that a sense of community also carried **
 * over when group members worked together, either face-to-face or online, and enhanced the **
 * interactions and productivity of the groups. **


 * 4.) Many times when we introduce a mediated environment, we find out course design needed more opportunity for collaborative learning for students to engage students and assist them in building peer networks. Where can your course lends itself in assisting students in building community with other students? the instructor? and, the public? **


 *  **