BENEFITS AND PROBLEMS OF ONLINE LEARNING COMMUNITIES

JAY, BRIAN AND GREG

Agenda
Welcome Teacher led talk on the benefts and problems of online communities. Breakout Rooms- Share your experiences with online learning communities and how you ha e dealt with information o erload! impersonality and low participation. Whole group discussion and feedback from breakout rooms. "o ing ahead

Benefts of Online Learning Communities

Question for the chat: #$n a few words! what is one positi e thing you see about online learning%&

Benefts of Online Learning Communities

'on enience and (exibility )earning with others *ngagement and belonging

Convenience and Flexibility

Students are not limited to timetabled sessions. Through the use of online communication tools! teachers and students can all keep in touch when classes are not in session.

Learning with Others

+nline learning communities can allow for positi e student collaboration. , great deal of the communication is text-based so students can express themsel es in a thoughtful manner. This can lead to impro ed written communication skills. Through ideo and oice chat! students can still practice oral communication skills.

Engagement and Belonging

Through regular contact in an acti e online community! students can feel a sense of belonging. $f students know and trust one another they will be able to share more and take more risks. Students who ha e a diffcult time contributing to a face to face group are gi en the opportunity to express themsel es in a more anonymous way.

Problems of Online Learning Communities

Question for the chat: #$n a few words! what is one problem you ha e experienced in an online learning community%&

Problems of Online Learning Communities

$nformation + erload $mpersonality )ow -articipation

nformation Overload
Too many postings to read in a discussion forum. .eeping up with the rapid exchanges li e. Too many bells and whistles! the en ironment is too complicated

m!ersonality
Too much lag between responses. /oice or body cues can be missed. 0ace to face communicate is often iewed as more natural.

Low Partici!ation

Too much means too daunting. The permanent nature of some online spaces. )urkers lea e the interaction to others.

Poll "uestion
Which of these three issues ha e you struggled with the most1 $nformation + erload $mpersonality )ow -articipation

(Kear, 2011)

#eferences

.ear! .. 234556. +nline and social networking communities a best practice guide for educators. 7ew 8ork1 Routledge.

Brea$out #ooms

Share your experiences with online learning communities and how you ha e dealt with information o erload! impersonality and low participation.