Projecting Community in Web-based Courses: What to Say and How to Say What You Mean
What to Say
In the Beginning
A good beginning can set the stage for the entire web-based course, so it is vitally important to give the introduction some concentrated effort. Some facilitators like to provide students with a little humor and insight as to the usefulness of the course, along with a more formal introduction to the syllabus. Others elect to provide a syllabus, an overview of the course, and a narrative resume. This informal resume might include hobbies, favorite pets and or locations to live or visit, or an informal slant on the instructor's prior experience. This provides students with the opportunity to make connections with their own life experiences and creates a "starting point" for building a relationship with the facilitator. It is important to set the stage for peer experiences, so having peers introduce themselves in some fashion provides an opportunity for relationship development. Some instructors request that students post a peer greeting to each other in the first day or so of the web-based course, much like what happens in the first night of a face-to-face course.
Keep 'em Talking
Many effective facilitators provide multiple opportunities for students to learn about each other in a personal sense and this helps establish a trusting relationship. Instructors may have students create and post their own narrative resumes including their reasons for attending the course. Students may also be required to work in teams for a project or two during the course. If time allows for two projects, students should be encouraged to work with the same team for both projects, thus providing students the opportunity to build a relationship within the team. It may also help to have students post pictures at the beginning of the course; since this step helps students visually relate to the person they are conversing with. An added benefit is to provide a designated "work space" for personal communication outside the classroom. This can easily be accomplished through the various setup functions of the chatroom. Facilitators must encourage students to share experiences or make personal connections with the course materials but should use the "what happens in Vegas—stays in Vegas" framework and remind students of confidentiality requirements. Some facilitators like to use a theme of the week in their informal conversations, such as "favorite restaurant" enabling students to share personal experiences around this theme in order to get the "ball rolling". These shared experiences usually take a humorous slant and may actually build on each other as the course progresses.
Effective facilitators often encourage students through constructive feedback. Students want to know not only what they did wrong in an assignment, or where they lost points, but they also want to know how they can improve in the next assignment. A sincere review of an assignment which includes a "what to do to improve" section will generally illicit a hardy "thanks" from the student to the facilitator and help forge one more bridge in the relationship connection.
Wrapping It Up
It never ends when it ends. Developing a personal connection is a difficult endeavor in any forum; much less in an online setting. This process is analogous to weaving a strong rope, the connection between the student and the facilitator must also be strong. Facilitators must provide students with an opportunity to leave contact information with others in the class. This may be as easy as mentioning the need to stay in touch or as complicated as offering to create a "signup" spreadsheet with future contact information. Some facilitators like to have a "signoff" topic in the chatroom for students to say so long to newly-acquired friends. Some facilitators provide an opportunity for students to discuss their personal programs of study and upcoming courses. This provides the opportunity for students to enroll together in upcoming web-based courses. In any case the facilitator will want to provide a "job well done" farewell on the final day as a closing activity.