Building an Online Learning Community

Successful online learning communities have many of the same characteristics as 'real' communities. One of the convictions of BrainMass is that belonging to a community, be it physical or online, meets some basic psychological needs. Because of this, communities are sought-after mechanisms in our society. These communities also lend themselves well to conducting business ethically and successfully.

An online learning community overcomes barriers of time, distance and place. It establishes, promotes and nurtures relationships, respect and caring among its members. To run this machinery smoothly and efficiently, learners and teachers must share information and experience they possess. Dynamic interaction among its members is essential for growth and development of any online community. As Diane Janes (Instructional Developer, Distance Education and Technology, University of British Columbia) put it so well: “Indeed, we may be moving towards the ultimate seamlessness, where we study and learn and interact in physical and virtual spaces without thinking about how we do it ... taking the best from both worlds”. An effective learning community is a pre-requisite to successful learning, especially if collaborative work is involved.

How can you build an effective online learning community? Following factors contribute vitally:

• Individual support for the learners.
• Open communication - striving to achieve maximum participation and feedback from the participants
• Promoting collaborative learning and sharing the vision

As an Online TA, we expect you to contribute towards building and strengthening the BrainMass community. Spreading the word among your friends, colleagues and other acquaintances about our services and programs will help attract more students to our website and tap into the pool of academic expertise. As mentioned before, feedback and participation are vital for our growth. We would be happy to address any concerns or issues you, as an Online TA, might have. Comments and suggestions are invited and would be incorporated to enhance the quality of our services. Remember, every person you tell about us will potentially start a chain reaction of his own which may translate into more earnings for you.