Cultivating Rich Virtual Communities in Adult Education Programs
Session Abstract
Building a virtual community can strengthen online learning and increase student engagement. This session combines adult learning theory with online teaching practices to leverage blogs and Twitter in a meaningful way to foster a learning community for adult learners.
Target Audience
Prospective and current educators and administrators of online courses
Session Description
This session will share strategies for using two popular social media strategies — blogging and microblogging — as reflective tool and a means of building an online community for adult learners. Online learners often experience feelings of isolation from their colleagues, virtual communities can fill this gap, and allow adult learners to form important academic and professional connections that can extend beyond the virtual classroom. The presenters will review current research and theory on creating a community of practice, how to guide adult learners through the effective use of online tools and how to encourage student engagement. The session will provide examples of successful community interactions and gives participants the opportunity to share their own strategies.