Abstract:

The goal of this presentation is to highlight experiences and reflections on pertinent issues related to online learning communities and practical applications for fostering meaningful online discussion utilized in undergraduate and graduate level courses in an accredited American teacher education program in New York City. Although the practical experiences with online collaboration shared in the presentation will stem from teacher education programs, techniques that may be generalized to many other areas will be discussed. The main purposes of sharing such reflections are a) to explore effective methods of developing, implementing, and assessing the pedagogical strategies used to promote effective online learning communities/collaboration, b) to describe suggestions for enhancement of online discussion techniques to maximize learning, and c) to reflect on the collaborative experiences from the perspectives of both students and professors. The presentation will highlight several topics related to building, promoting, and supporting successful online learning communities based on the following essential elements:

Ten Essential Elements for Building, Promoting and Supporting Successful Online Learning Communities
1. Clear objectives and expectations for all
2. Supportive, safe, and democratic learning environment
3. Mutual respect
4. Effective virtual classroom management
5. Academic rigor
6. Advanced interactive discussion
7. Outstanding student participation
8. Differentiation and celebration of diversity
9. Critical thinking and deep reflection
10. Flexible teaching styles

Keywords:

Online Learning Communities, collaboration, differentiation, diversity, teaching styles, critical thinking, reflection.