Building Learning Communities in Cyberspace: Effective Strategies for the Online Classroom

1999 Winner of the Philip E. Frandson Award for Literature in Continuing Higher Education, from the University Continuing Education Association

"A must read for anyone involved in or considering involvement in online, networked learning."
--Donald J. MacIntyre, president, The Fielding Institute

"A thorough overview of the online course process, including course selection, design, and evaluation, and many of the technical issues that affect the entire process."
--Kathleen M. Rose, distance education specialist, University of California Extension Online

Written for faculty, instructors, and trainers in any distance learning environment, Building Learning Communities in Cyberspace shows how to create a virtual classroom environment that helps students excel academically, while fostering a sense of community. This practical, hands-on guide is filled with illustrative case studies, vignettes, and examples from a wide variety of successful online courses. The authors offer proven strategies for handling challenges that include:

• Engaging students with subject matter
• Accounting for attendance and participation
• Working with students who do not participate
• Understanding the signs of when a student is in trouble
• Building online communities that accommodate personal interaction

Based on many years of work in information systems and over five years of experience in online distance education, Rena Palloff and Keith Pratt share insights designed to guide readers through the steps of computer-mediated course design and implementation.