Online Orientation: An Effective Approach to Initiating an Online Learning Community

• In Event: 72.050 - Poster Session 17
  In Poster Session: 72.050-3 - Online Professional Development, Course Design, and Student Orientation

Abstract

Building a supportive online learning community is an essential but challenging objective for online distance educators. This paper advocates the purposeful design of community-building activities for newly admitted online students in an Education Leadership Masters degree program. This study presents an online orientation that prepared students to use technology effectively and created a supportive learning community for two cohorts in 2015 and 2016. Student feedback highlighted the knowledge and skills acquired to use technology effectively and the collaborative relationships developed between cohort members. More data collection is planned for in the coming cohort programs in Fall 2016 and Spring 2017 in order to demonstrate the success of the online orientation as an effective approach of initiating an online learning community.

Authors

• Ying-Ying Kuo, George Mason University

• Anne-Marie Balzano, George Mason University

• Scott C. Bauer, University of Colorado Denver