Credit: ScreenFlow, under license agreement by Jane Sutterlin
Whether for a resident course or online, cultivating a human-centered classroom community takes time and effort. Discussion forums can help. Content-delivery discussion forums help students interact when considering content-related questions and topics, but other kinds of discussions can help create an interactive community of learners who share and get to know each other outside of the realm of course content. Consider the following:
Research shows that faculty presence and perceived connection in an asynchronous, online course can increase student satisfaction, motivation, and retention and reduce student feelings of isolation and confusion. Including weekly video announcements and/or lesson introductions is one way to accomplish this.
