This item discusses commercial online communities but the same holds for online learning communities. Those that are successful, argues the author, are those that make people feel like they belong. "But community cannot be forced. Many sites founded on pure community ideals, such as Theglobe.com, faltered, largely due to dependence on advertising revenue. Instead, the sites that leverage community to best effect make their efforts transparent, encouraging feedback and interaction without getting in the way." What this means for educators is that the online learning community has to be about more than just learning. Though some components of the community may be non-educational, these components are what build community loyalty and engagement.
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