Socializing Online
From ElateWiki
Students who take online courses for the first time say that they miss the social interactions. The research suggests that taking online classes with friends is motivating for students. It’s easier for students to stay accountable. There’s apparently improved course retention.
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Methods for Socializing Online
Plenty of online courses offer opportunities for learner socializing with each other. Students are often asked to post profiles or bios and to share some basic information (not TMI or overly personal information) about themselves.
There are group assignments and collaborations; there are discussions.
Tools for Online Socializing
Learning / course management systems offer many ways for students to connect. There are shared emails. There are discussion boards with learner lounges (for posting informal messages). There are live chat tools. There are voice tools (both synchronous and asynchronous). There are easy ways of exchanging information.
Many will take the connections to social sites like Facebook and MySpace. They'll check out their peers online to see what their blogs or sites are about. They'll "Google" them to find out more (or at least to see how others style themselves).
Virtual and F2F Study Sessions
Students sometimes agree to meet virtually or even F2F for study sessions.
The Rules of Safety
Faculty offer rules of safety in online interactions--something akin to basic "street smarts" in terms of not sharing personal information and not assuming knowledge of those that they meet.