Strategies for Community

According to Palloff and Pratt, "...the role and presence of the instructor is critical to the process of forming the community and delivering the class" (2003, p. 17). This module provides numerous strategies that can help you create and support a successful learning community. Your announcements, welcome emails and calls, Facilitator Forum, weekly feedback, forum comments and the Break Room help you connect with your participants and help them connect with each other.

Learning is more than just the content or the process. For truly deep learning, we need a combination of people, process, and purpose all working together. "If we believe that knowledge is not transmitted but rather co-constructed, then it follows that the greater the interactivity in an online course and the more attention paid to developing a sense of community, the more likely students will stick with the course until its completion" (Palloff & Pratt, 2003, p. 117). Following the strategies outlined in this module can help you create an environment that cultivates community as well as deep learning.