Online Learning Communities

In our course, we have the opportunity to meet with our instructor as often as necessary, collaborate in online groups, and even meet alongside the professor to track our group project progress. Rather than feeling isolated or transactional, our course emphasizes mutual care, responsibility, and presence through consistent communication, group collaboration, and guided project check ins with our instructor.

We’ve explored technologies like Zoom, collaborative documents such as Google Docs, and asynchronous forums such as Mattermost. Each of these tools plays a different role in shaping our online learning community. Zoom allowed us to meet with our instructor as often as needed and hold structured group check ins that kept our project work on track. Google Docs made it possible to brainstorm, revise, and build shared meaning even when we were working from different locations or at different times. Mattermost created a space where questions, resources, and informal conversations could take place conveniently, reducing the sense of isolation that sometimes comes with online learning. Together, these tools demonstrated how intentional technology use when supported by consistent instructor presence, can transform an online course into a collaborative and connected learning environment.

Social constructivist learning theory – Information adapted from Pressbooks – So I thought I would integrate some info from one of my majors, Psych! One of the theories I have learned about in terms of knowledge and learning is Lee Vygotsky’s sociocultural theory. He was a russian psychologist who emphasized that cognitive development is deeply influenced by culture, social interaction, and shared language. Vygotsky believed that learners hold both actual abilities and potential abilities that can be developed with proper guidance from more knowledgeable others. He argued that social interaction, especially with teachers or more skilled peers is essential for reaching higher levels of thinking. Without this interpersonal support, learners understanding would be limited to what they can uncover independently.

Although Vygotsky never used the term scaffolding, his ideas inspired it. Later, psychologists expanded on Vygotsky’s concept of the Zone of Proximal Development (ZPD) to show how teachers can provide just enough guidance for learners to complete tasks they couldn’t do alone. As students build confidence, the support gradually fades, allowing them to take on more challenging work. In collaborative learning environments, students with a stronger grasp of concepts can also help peers work within their ZPD.

Seen through this lens, our course technologies work as scaffolding tools:

• Zoom meetings with our instructor which we can schedule as often as necessary, offer direct guidance that helps us move from confusion to clarity.
• Group meetings with the professor function as structured scaffolds that keep our group projects on track and ensure we are progressing with support rather than struggling in isolation.
• Collaborative documents let peers support each other by co-constructing meaning, sharing ideas, and learning from those who may be more advanced in certain areas.
• Mattermost extends this scaffolding into asynchronous space, providing a low pressure environment where questions can be asked, knowledge can be shared, and students can build off of each other’s insights.

Consequences and Meaning of a Strong Online Community

These experiences matter because community directly affects motivation, performance, accountability, and well being in online courses

Professional Impact : Working in online groups mirrors what many workplaces now expect. Learning how to collaborate digitally, coordinate schedules, and communicate clearly is a highly transferable skill.

Equity Impact : Open meeting availability helps level the playing field for students who need clarification or extra support. Furthermore, regular check ins ensure that groups remain balanced and that workload inequities are addressed before becoming major problems.

Social and Emotional Impact: Knowing that the instructor is available reduces anxiety, while structured group meetings help build trust and accountability within teams.

Drawbacks :

• Digital Fatigue, according to Psychology Today digital fatigue is the feeling of being tired and burned out from excess screen time. Through work, school, and everyday life we constantly switch between Zoom, Social Media, TV and much more. They stated that even the presence of our phones turned off and face down can drain cognitive reasources and divert attention from what is important. This fatigue can reduce engagement, lower motivation, and even impact mental health.
• Uneven participation in groups, online group work often suffers from unequal contributions some students take on more responsibility while others disengage. Without face-to-face accountability, it can be harder to track effort and ensure fairness. This imbalance can cause frustration, resentment, and lower-quality outcomes. To mitigate this instructor oversight and structured check ins may be useful as it can help hold members accountable for the work they have done.
• Privacy concerns – many online learning communities rely on external tools such as Slack or Mattermost. These platforms may collect personal data, raising concerns about surveillance, consent, and data security. Students may feel uncomfortable sharing personal information or being recorded.

Online learning communities don’t emerge by accident, they’re built through intentional design, inclusive pedagogy, and relational care. Our course models this beautifully as we have frequent instructor access, collaborative group work, and guided project tracking create a space where students feel valued, connected, and empowered.

I will leave you with a downloadable checklist from WebAIM that supports inclusive online course design.