Chapter 8: Laying The Groundwork For The Development of Learning Communities Within Online Courses

A community is not an entity or a product. Rather, it is a process, which is fluid in nature. A community evolves through nurturing conditions. It “requires a highly interactive, loosely structured organization with tightly knit relations based on personal persuasion and interdependence” (Kowch & Schwier, 1997, p. 2). It is a supportive and empowering environment that accommodates and is responsive to the members’ actions, interactions, and reactions. The relationships, the intimacy, the negotiations, and the engagement of participants all influence the evolution of a community. The growth and longevity of a community are directly related to the community meeting the needs of members. Conditions and characteristics associated with a viable community need to be fostered and nurtured if a learning community is to exist and evolve. It is through mediated communication within this online learning environment that a community comes to life.