Facilitating online interaction using community building strategies

Online learning communities provide a solution to the lack of opportunities for teacher and peer interaction and engagement when students study remotely. However, creating the intangible essences that make online learning communities effective, such as a sense of connectedness and a feeling of belonging, can be challenging. This paper describes a pilot online learning community to demonstrate the effectiveness of carefully facilitated activities during each stage of implementation. Student responses support claims of increased interaction while unit completion rates present a strong case for the merits of designing and facilitating online learning using a community building approach.