Online Learning

Build community

Create a sense of belonging, community, and support.

As part of the What Works Well in Online Teaching (WWWOT) series, Tara Montague shares strategies for building community in her online courses.

As part of the What Works Well in Online Teaching (WWWOT) series, Mistique Viggeo shares strategies for building community using videos before and throughout the term to reduce student isolation and encourage connection and engagement.

Practices

A major part of our college mission is to deliver access to quality education in a collaborative culture of diversity, equity and inclusion. Instructors are advocates for a just and inclusive college climate, regardless of individual differences, beliefs, or identities. A major step toward supporting this goal is to create a sense of belonging, community, and support. Here are the essential practices for this category.

Essential Practices
  • Create a welcoming, engaging learning environment where students feel a sense of connection to the instructor, other students, and the course. (See “Humanizing” online courses)
  • Apply strategies to promote diversity, equity and inclusion as well as culturally responsive teaching.
  • Implement classroom discussion guidelines for communicating online and for civil discourse that respects the diversity of the group.
  • Show instructor presence in discussions and other collaborative activities through participation or feedback, and monitor discussion activities in regards to tone, relevance and appropriateness.
High-Impact Practices for Continuous Improvement
  • Evaluate culturally responsive teaching strategies for effectiveness and relevance. Make changes to courses accordingly.
  • Encourage course participation through engagement in course related resources on campus or in the community.
  • Foster a sense of community through group projects, discussions, and peer feedback opportunities.
  • Encourage collaboration on projects and assignments when it supports learning outcomes.
  • Encourage students to use images, audio, video, or other media in discussions or projects.

Examples for any online course

  • Use a video introduction to personalize your presence in the course.
  • Personalize your course shell using an instructor introduction page, weekly announcements, instructor videos, module introductions, etc.
  • Model respect for social, cultural and linguistic differences.
  • Adapt your communication style accordingly to provide a safe and supportive learning environment.
  • Be culturally sensitive when using humor or idioms in the course.
  • Vary course content to reflect diversity, such as with images and names used in examples, etc.
  • 沙巴体育官网 a community agreement on student interactions, for example having students create a set of Ground Rules together.
  • Provide positive feedback to where students are encouraged to learn and challenge different perspectives.
  • Summarize student responses from assignments or discussions to reflect the diverse thoughts of the classroom community.
  • Facilitate study groups through discussions, Zoom, Google docs, Zoom Whiteboard, etc.
  • Offer opportunities for students to provide additional resources to further the learning objectives.
  • Provide announcements and share resources offered to students by the college to connect students back to the larger campus community they are part of.
  • Consider embedding a tutor or librarian within your online class.

Examples for online courses with scheduled meetings

  • Discuss camera use and ways it can build community. Offer alternatives such as the use of avatars for those who are unable to use a camera.
  • Begin a synchronous session with a brief mindfulness prompt. Ask students to reflect on what causes them to “tune out” during a live session and what helps them stay engaged during live sessions.
  • Invite students to share a favorite non-explicit song in the chat, then compile the responses into a class playlist to play when they arrive for class or return from breakout rooms.
  • Conduct a group game at the beginning of the session with Kahoot! or another ice breaker activity.
  • Offer multiple ways for students to engage, such as using reaction emojis, the “raise hand” feature, or typing a response in the chat.
  • Use polls or quick check-ins to ensure everyone feels included and understood during live interactions.
  • Monitor and read student responses in the chat to ensure diverse perspectives are highlighted and create opportunities for all students to contribute equally, regardless of background.
  • Use Google Slides, Zoom Whiteboard, or Hypothes.is for synchronous collaboration and to engage diverse voices.
  • In live sessions, provide opportunities for students to share their projects or presentations in real-time. Offer quick synchronous tutorials on using various media tools.
  • Encourage live peer feedback on assignments and projects during designated synchronous review sessions.
  • Organize optional synchronous “field trips” (e.g., virtual tours of campus resources or educational websites, guest speaker Q&A sessions) that connect course material to campus and real-world contexts.

Resources

Laying the Foundation for Building Community
Equity, Inclusion, and Cultural Responsiveness
Practical Strategies for Connection
Tools for Synchronous Engagement