The online environment can be a lonely place. students and faculty alike report feelings of isolation when working online.
The benefits of taking or teaching an online class- -being able to connect any time and any place, from one's bedroom in pyjamas and bunny slippers or from a library or computer lab-also can be a detriment of sorts given that , for the most part, the people with whom one is interacting are represented by words on a screen.
- Recent studies of the online learning environment have noted that involvement or ''social presence'' better known as a feeling of community and connection among learners, has contributed positively to learning outcomes and learner satisfaction with online courses (Gunawardena and Zittle, 1997; Kazmer, 2000; Murphy, Drabier, and Epps, 1998; Picciano, 2002; Tu and Corry, 2002).
- Beyond learner satisfaction, however, is the more important belief that collaboration enhances learning outcomes and reduces the potential for learner isolation that can occur in the online environment.
- By learning together in a learning community, students have the opportunity to extend and deepen their learning experience, test out new ideas by sharing them with a supportive group, and receive critical and constructive feedback.The likelihood of successful achievement of learning objectives and achieving course competencies increases through collaborative engagement.
DEFINITION
An online community where visitors may read and post topics of common interest.Forums can be a useful for anyone doing business online, both in terms of reading the content and actively participating in the discussions.Reading a forum’s archives can be a good way to obtain a basic knowledge about a topic, and it also provides a historical perspective on trends and opinions.
EXAMPLE ONLINE FORUM
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