Strategies Employed By Participants In Virtual Learning Communities

This paper examines the learning behavior of online students in an asynchronous learning environment. We employ the theoretical lens of an online community of inquiry, to understand how students build an understanding of course concepts as part of an online community of learning. Findings are presented from a study of an online, graduate University course. Student behavior was analyzed to investigate the detailed learning strategies employed by various students. An e-learning framework was devised, that identifies various types of behavior, each of which is associated with the distinct needs of an online learning process. We conclude with the reflection that we may need many different types of course interactions for different types of learning role.

1. Introduction

Online learning in Universities is increasingly seen as an area of probable growth. Common perceptions are that online learning provides a way to (a) achieve greater economies of scale than traditional, face-to-face education delivery methods and (b) provide more open access for members of disadvantaged groups. However, if we are to provide students with an effective learning experience, we need to learn to design online learning environments in different ways than those associated with face-to-face classroom environments. Otherwise, online learning suffers from a paucity of experience, where students are expected to take responsibility for their own learning, but are given none of the social support system that makes this possible in a traditional classroom setting. Tait [43] argues that, if falling retention rates are to be reversed, we need to address issues of how students bond with the course and the institution, and how appropriate intervention to support the emotional needs of learners may be designed.