Building a Sense of Community in an Online Class
Three years ago Dimai and Ebner commented that their Google search for "learning community" produced over six million hits. Checking in 2006, we found the number of hits approaching nine million. What are all those pages talking about? Even those who work in the field of online education express their concern about "hype"—the idea that "community" is a buzzword and that only rarely does the writing about learning communities rise above platitudes and lists of "should" statements (Dimai and Ebner 2003:1). Community is an ideal that most teachers seek to develop, whether in face to face or online classes. What is less clear is what practices work in the online context. This article will focus on what we have learned about best practices and technologies to foster such a positive classroom environment, as well as traits that promote a successful transition through graduate school and into the world beyond the academy—things like cooperation, collaboration, mutual support, and perseverance.