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communication

com·mu·ni·ca·tion

/kəˌmyo͞onəˈkāSH(ə)n/

Noun

The exchange of information and the expression of feeling that transfers information from one place, person or group to another. Many available tools and techniques help with the sharing of text, graphics, videos, and audio, and an understanding of "paralanguage" for the online environment (specialized social cuing) is key to encouraging and facilitating inclusive online learning communities.

Building Student Engagement with Discussions

Overhead view of students sharing at a round table.

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:

Building Student Engagement with Faculty Presence Using Video

man standing with oil tanks in the background

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.

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