Building and Sustaining Community in Asynchronous Learning Networks

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Building and Sustaining Community in Asynchronous Learning Networks

Alfred P. Rovai

Abstract

This article applies the concept of classroom community to asynchronous learning networks (ALNs) by taking on the issue of how best to design and implement a course that fosters community among learners who are physically separated from each other. The following factors that can influence sense of community among distant learners are examined: student–instructor ratio, transactional distance, social presence and instructor immediacy, lurking, social equality, collaborative learning, group facilitation, and self-directed learning.

Keywords

Asynchronous learning networks, Community, Distance learning

Annotation

This article lays out eight areas that affect community creation in online courses. These factors are, (1) A student-instructor ratio of less than 30-to-1, (2) transactional distance – the “communication gap” psychologically caused by being physically separated – needs to be made up for through frequent and multi-modal communications between instructor and student, (3) social presence and instructor immediacy – instructors need to be involved with the class as students are likely to be disengaged and feel alienated if they think nobody is reading their comments, (4) lurking – needs to be avoided by assessing “quantity, quality, and timeliness” of every student’s contributions (p. 291), (5) social equality – aided by CMC however people also tend to be more aggressive and less apt to follow proper etiquette online – instructors should have all students post introductions so that students see the other people in the course as real people, (6) collaborative learning – breaking large groups of students into small groups – promotes learning and community, (7) group facilitation – view online courses like a seminar “where the instructor assumes the role of a tutor and determines the topic and activities, encourages substantive interactions among students, monitors and shapes the conversation but refrains from extensive direct interactions” (p. 293), (8) self-directed learning.

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