Establishing an Online Community and Positive Online Presence

1. Establishing an Online Community and Positive Online Presence

2. Introduction • In this presentation you will learn: • The characteristics of an effective online learning community • How to model good communication and set a positive tone • Strategizing - How and when to effectively use online communication tools • How to create momentum to build, maintain and sustain an effective online community of learners

3. What Does an Effective Community Look Like?Characteristics… • Interaction –Frequent interaction is evident through dynamic discussion forums, collaborative activities, and frequent opportunities for interaction • Common goals– Operating standards for working together are collaboratively established and followed • Camaraderie– Participants make connections and share humor • Trust between members– A safe and supportive environment is established and supported where individuals share ideas and exchange feedback • Processing –Participants engage in processing towards continuous improvement; they do not wait for “policing” or prompting from the facilitator • High comfort level for ongoing dialogue –Participants actively utilize the discussion forum and engage in higher-level thinking and critical reflection • Accountability – Participants are accountable for their learning and responsible for course activities

4. What Does an Effective Community Look Like?Characteristics (cont)… • Team and Community Building - Opening and ongoing community building and teambuilding activities and strategies take place • Group processing - Participants are able to process without prompting from the facilitator • Self and team evaluations - Participants are able to self-assess their individual and team progress • Teamwork - Participants feel “safe” and have enough trust to work collaboratively on team activities and assignments • Feedback - Participants receive feedback from instruction in a timely and positive manner • Emerging leaders - The facilitator helps to “groom” and support emerging leaders for future community development and professional development initiatives

5. Poll #1 - What is the Primary Element Needed to Make a Community Successful? effective communication!

6. Modeling Good Communication Facilitators are responsible for generating effective communication by: • Modeling the practices of creating an online presence • Communicating to set a positive tone and actively participatingin all forms of communication • Understanding the strategiesof the community’s rhythms and cycles of content delivery, activities and interactions

7. Modeling Good Communication Communication is how you support participants through the learning process. It’s how you create relationships with participants, share your expectations for your course, and provide ongoing feedback. Modeling good communication establishes and sustains your online presence. It's the way students get to know you, and realize that you are a vital part of their learning community. Effective communication begets effective communication. The course facilitator must model a consistent, positive presence online. This means: • logging in daily and interacting with others online • offering resources and supplemental materials as needed • responding to all forms of discussion threads in a timely manner • posting frequent announcements

8. Modeling Good Communication: Strategies to Set a Positive Tone How to set and model a positive tone: • ELC Announcements: Make sure warm and informative announcements are front and center for your participants regularly. Use fun, captivating images to draw attention to your news. • Email: Use email as a tool to help draw participants into the course and make them feel comfortable. • Course Protocols: In addition to the course protocols outlined in the Coursebook, if you have other protocols, such as “online office hours,” communicate those in an announcement, a general discussion forum, or all-class email. Be clear about what is expected and what will not be tolerated. • Netiquette: Be a netiquette champion. Netiquette is simply etiquette on the net. It is a compilation of little courtesies that can make a big difference within your community. Modeling and championing netiquette perpetuates good online communication practices and helps nurture a positive tone.

9. Modeling Good Communication: Strategies to Set a Positive Tone Participants will get most of their cues of how to communicate effectively from you. • Be a cheerleader! Your praise of accomplishments and/or hard work is key. Everyone likes to get kudos! • Be overly courteous. Online communication has a tendency to seem cold and curt. Take the time to make sure your communication is warm and invites a response. • Make participants feel comfortable by having a sense of humor and being conversational. • Try to welcome and meet your participants online at the beginning of your course via email or Instant Message. • Participate in “Getting to Know” community discussions by also completing the assignment. You should be taking notes in Parts I and II of your facilitation Plan

10. Modeling Good Communication: Strategies to Set a Positive Tone • When you are confused, ask for clarification. Misunderstandings can happen – just don’t let them perpetuate. • Consider the “tone” of responses and how they will be ‘read’ by recipients before posting • Avoid the use of inflammatory language or words • Stay open to new ideas and opinions • Nip conflict in the bud (more about conflict resolution in Week 2) • Forgive mistakes. Empower participants to learn from their mistakes and actively practice forgiveness. • Kindness is contagious so practice it as much as possible!

11. Communication Tools and Strategies There are five main ways to communicate in an ELC using text-based format. Each mechanism is different and serves a distinct purpose. As a facilitator, it is imperative to understand each method so you can choose the most efficient tool for your online endeavors. The five main ways to communicate in the ELC using text-based format are: announcements,discussion board, chat,email, and instant messaging. Note: we will also examine and discuss non-ELC tools

12. Communication Tools and Strategies: Announcements (News) • This tool gives you the opportunity to post reminders, course updates and post new ideas or resources for the entire community to see each time they log on to the ELC. • It’s important to post new announcements frequently (approximately 3x per week) so that participants can see you are maintaining a presence in the ELC Consider using audio or video to enhance your announcements!

13. Communication Tools andStrategies: Discussion Forums There are generally three kinds of discussions used in online courses: • Whole group (entire community): Whole group discussions engage the entire learning community in discussion of course topics. Often, these forums are used following reading assignments, in order to help students process and discuss what they learned. These forums can also be used to tap into prior knowledge and experience, in order for students to share experiences and learn from one another. It is vital that facilitators actively participate in these forums to both share expertise and promote critical thinking. • Team (specific team members): Each team is given a team discussion forum where teams of 2-4 will collaboratively work together to complete team activities. Often, chats or other collaborative Web2 tools are used for team activities. Facilitators should check in on team discussions, and offer guidance and feedback, when appropriate. • Individual (student and the course facilitator); Each student has a private discussion forum that only the student and facilitator have access to. These forums are used for personal reflection and to submit individual assignments. Facilitators should provide feedback in these individual forums (more about this will be discussed when we cover Providing Feedback). Be sure to read the related resource, Discussion Forum Strategies for more information about how discussion forums are used in online courses. You should be taking notes in Parts I and II of your facilitation Plan

14. Communication Tools and Strategies: Discussion Forums In all three kinds of discussion forums, as a Facilitator you are responsible for: • Setting a tone that encourages participants to communicate with one another • Reinforcing participants’ early attempts at participation • Modeling expected behavior • Being responsive to participants not participating • Providing positive feedback and constructive comments • Correcting misconceptions • Keeping participants on task • Promoting equal contributions by all participants

15. Communication Tools and Strategies: Discussion Forums As a Facilitator of whole group discussions, you are responsible for: • Planning how you would respond to group discussion topics in advance • Reading all of the postings by participants • Encouraging participants to expand and build upon comments • Asking open-ended questions • Promoting critical thinking in discussions (this topic will be further explored) • Synthesizing responses and themes in whole group discussions • Composing a synthesis statement or conclusion at the end of a group discussion Consider using audio to summarize discussion forums or ask questions that promote critical thinking

16. Communication Tools and Strategies: Discussion Forums As a course facilitator you are also responsible for: • Checking in on all team discussions and providing comments, suggestions, guidance and feedback, as needed • Providing timely feedback to individual assignments and reflections in individual discussion forums • Establishing a means for ongoing evaluation and course input (i.e., Water Cooler or General Course Discussion)

17. Communication Tools and Strategies: Chat • Like instant messaging, chatting occurs in real time (synchronously). Though it is possible to chat with only one other person, often chatting takes place at a scheduled time between many people, such as a team or whole community. • Chats can be saved for future reference.

18. Communication Tools and Strategies: Chat Chat Advantages: • Facilitates meaningful communication • Participants know when the activity will start and end • Learners will be involved in a related (pre-chat) activity before the scheduled chat • Responses may be less inhibited • Participants develop a better sense of belonging and connection in the class • The facilitator can immediately ascertain if participants are understanding the content • participants can communicate directly with each other • Content can be transmitted relatively quickly • Simultaneous interaction -- facilitates activities that cannot be done in an asynchronous setting

19. Communication Tools and Strategies: Chat Chat Disadvantages: • Chats may end when discussions are in full force • There is less flexibility in scheduling time to do the assignment • The facilitator has more work to prepare before the activity • Some participants may find it difficult to “talk” during open forum sessions • Computer connection speeds may interfere with the ability of a student to actively participate in the discussion • It is easy to get off of the subject • Participants must be able to type quickly • Participants must be comfortable in the process of the chat • Participants must know chat etiquette • Online chats are not effective for large groups of people

20. Communication Tools and Strategies: Chat Chat Strategies* • Choose the Open/Closed forum strategy for structuring an online chat. In the Open/Closed forum, the facilitator designates when participants take turns responding to a chat question, and when they chat freely. • Open Forum: participants from any team can then chat freely about the content. The facilitator comments and uses guiding questions to dig deeper into the topic. • Closed Forum: participants take turns entering their prepared responses to the chat question through the use of the Seating Chart. • Have a pre-chat activity to prepare participants for the chat • Prepare a “seating chart” for the chat • Have post-chat activity to process learning • Limit chats to one hour • *Notes: • The course you facilitate may have chat assignments already scheduled or structured built into the course design. Your Instructor Support person will have primary responsibility for organizing chat logistics • In Week 2, you will consider other synchronous communication strategies

21. Communication Tools and Strategies: Email • This is a feature that allows you to send a message to a person or group. • Generally use Announcements to notify the entire group of important information. Use email to communicate with individuals.Note: Using the email feature in the ELC will NOT save the email. Therefore, if you want a copy of the email you send, you must send a copy to yourself.

22. Communication Tools and Strategies: Instant Messanging (IM) • This tool gives you the opportunity to contact and communicate with a single member in real time. • As long as that member is currently online and willing to chat with you, you may engage in a savable, impromptu discussion.

23. A highly effective online community has momentum independent of the facilitator. Momentum

24. Momentum - The Momentum Theory • Think of a community like a vehicle and the idea of momentum becomes clear… • The wheels of the vehicle (the members) are what engage on the ground. • The ignition (critical thinking on the part of members) begins turning the wheels. • The turning of the wheels and their engagement on the ground gives the vehicle (the community) traction to move forward. • Moving forward through over time gives the vehicle (the community) true momentum.

25. Momentum - Tips for Generating and Sustaining Momentum • Start the course off with a BANG! • Establish a positive tone at the beginning of the course • Answer all emails and questions promptly • Be encouraging • Provide feedback in a timely manner • Be proactive • Promote discussion and use open-ended questions Are you taking notes in your Facilitation Plan?

26. Momentum Be engaging: start with a BANG!

27. Momentum Courses offer a balance of forums and activities. Be active and present in all of them! • Individual Discussion Forums and Assignments: • Provide feedback in these individual forums (more about this will be discussed when we cover Providing Feedback). • Team: Each team is given a team discussion forum where teams of 2-4 will collaboratively work together to complete team activities. Often, chats or other collaborative Web2 tools are used for team activities. Facilitators should check in on team discussions, and offer guidance and feedback, when appropriate. • Whole Group: Whole group discussions engage the entire learning community in discussion of course topics. Often, these forums are used following reading assignments, in order to help students process and discuss what they learned. These forums can also be used to tap into prior knowledge and experience, in order for students to share experiences and learn from one another. It is vital that facilitators actively participate in these forums to both share expertise and promote critical thinking.

28. Momentum Courses Balance Synchronous and Asynchronous Activities • Courses offer a balance of forums and activities. Be active and present in all of them! • Provide consistent, structured interactions using both online chats and discussion forums. Balancing their use will keep things interesting in your community and each tool will elicit different higher level thinking responses – thus offering members varied ways of receiving and processing content • Suggest that teams periodically use chats to work on team activities. • Reinforce participants’ feelings of ‘membership’ within your community by valuing both chat and discussion contributions; each individual should feel connected to the larger whole. • Stay flexible in chat and discussion forum activities by providing opportunities to extend discussions when needed.

29. Poll #2 momentum sustains a community

30. Momentum - What We Know Communication is KEY! Momentum sustains a community As a facilitator, you are given the task of using the communication tools and strategies available to you to maintain and sustain the momentum of the effective online community.