Week 4 Discussion 2

CONCORD CONSORTIUM
The following nine key characteristics define The Concord Consortium's approach to delivering quality
e-Learning:

1. Asynchronous collaboration. Participants don't have to be logged on to the course

simultaneously; they work in an asynchronous environment in which text-based, threaded
discussion and collaborative problem solving form the core learning strategy.
2. Explicit schedules. Instructors of online courses that rely on collaborative discussions schedule
lessons within a specific time frame so participants can share similar experiences and insights.
3. Expert facilitation. Online courses are led by a qualified person specifically trained in online
facilitation.
4. Inquiry pedagogy. Designers create effective online courses -- with many specific elements that
contribute to sound pedagogy for inquiry learning.
5. Community building. Course designers and instructors are proactive in designing and nurturing
a community culture in which participants are supportive, honest, and willing to take
intellectual risks.
6. Limited enrollment. There are between 12 and 25 participants in a class to keep collaborative
learning manageable.
7. High-quality materials. Course designers include the widest feasible range of media and
activities to appeal to different styles of learning.
8. Purposeful virtual spaces. Online, course designers create explicit structures so the community
gets what it needs without interrupting the flow of content-based discussions. Typically
included are a "Student Lounge," a "Questions about Assignments," a "Technical Questions,"
and a "Class Meeting" discussion space for debriefing course experiences.
9. Ongoing assessment. Online assessment is a continuous, ongoing process. Instructors find
evidence of achievement in participants' daily contributions to online discussions. They learn
each student's unique voice and approach to solving problems through their postings.

Although all nine characteristics are essential, community building is especially important.
Students need to feel connected and involved. How do online educators create a sense of
community in the virtual environment?
Brainstorming in classroom activities requires that thinkers/learners are allowed to submit
intelligence at will without fear of ridicule but subject to challenge. Students/learners must feel
comfortable with the instruction design in addition to the other students and instructor; therefore,
instructors/designers must create learning environments that foster trade of information without

constraint/resistance. Ullman (2009) states, she wanted her teachers to know that they were not being
judged (p.1). You need to teach them how to ask questions that don't put people on the defensive,"
Smith says. She circulated articles and books and encouraged them to form study groups (p.1). Thus,
online educators must create a network of teachers that pursue a greater cause than competing for
teacher of the year. Cooperation and collaboration between students and teachers may be created by
the way an instructor presents the potential for technology/pedagogy/content knowledge as an outcome
of input from all stakeholders. Through technology virtual environments can be created than enable
collaboration with ease and at low costs. Education Review (2010) states, virtual environments allow
faculty to create a world that encompasses anything they can dream up. The collaborative environment
provides synchronous communication and interaction among students, faculty, and other "in-world"
residents. This social interaction and the relationships that develop between and among students and
others create a community of learners (p.1). Thus, as designers create a learning environment through
collaborations, participants throughout the school/organization learn to socialize and use the new
relationships to form a network of people devoted to one cause-change! The designer is responsible for
ensuring that proper technology tools, scheduling, etiquette and access to information is a part of the
formula for community building which leads to success in managing/implementing and continuing
successful virtual environments.
References
Educause Review (2010). Collaborative efforts: Teaching and learning in virtual worlds. Retrieved
from http://www.educause.edu/ero/article/collaborative-efforts-teaching-and-learning-virtualworlds
Ullman, E. (2009). How to create a professional learning community. Retrieved from
http://www.edutopia.org/professional-learning-communities-collaboration-how-to