Online Participation Policies and Promoting Community Values
At my college we use a certain LMS that requires students to make peer posts on discussion boards. It is necessary for me to spend a great deal of time to help students learn how to make these peer posts and get in the swing of posting to these forced discussions. Eventually the students do get it and I've been happy to see them even develop a community and support one another in learning. But I agree that there are much better ways, more efficient and effective ways, as mentioned in this module, to get students engaged in the online community.
However, I'm not comfortable with using students' willingness to share personal information as a standard for building community. I'm comfortable with teacher and students keeping it professional and building relationships through discussions about course material and how that subject matter affects us in our daily lives.
Does anyone think I'm offbase here?
Sharon ,
Maybe that comes with experience and time. We have to learn to be flexible to help all students. I guess I'm rigid in some assignments or rules, but overall, I'm more flexible. Take care.
Thanks so much for telling me that. It helps. I happen to really appreciate your flexibility and that of the module authors.
I've taken other online courses in the past where the course material and the lecturer's attitudes were very rigid. Yet our students are so diverse. I didn't get it.
Sharon ,
Ah - when you see their success and that development of the community, it's so rewarding. I'm OK with keeping it professional too. We can have a professional class community. That's OK!
