Moderator: Aura Lippincott (Western Connecticut State University)

Panelists: Drs. Neeta Connally (Western Connecticut State University), Kaston Anderson-Carpenter (Michigan State University), Nicole DeRonck (Western Connecticut State University), and Sharon Young (Western Connecticut State University)

Title: Fostering Community and Rapport in the Online Classroom

Abstract:

The link between student success and sense of community in online courses is well established in the scholarship of teaching and learning. Students who feel connected to the instructor, one another and the course content are more likely persist and succeed in online learning. How can we design our courses so that a learning community flourishes and how do we sustain and promote it once the class has started? What are the factors that impact community – from social factors, to expectation settings, to class climate? Panelists will explore the dimensions of online course community, share their techniques and discuss lessons learned.

Closing Remarks: Dr. Adam Brewer (Western Connecticut State University)