Building Community Through Online Discuss

Online networking is a valuable tool for students in higher education and in the world of work. The challenge for teachers is to encourage students to participate in online discussion so that they can develop communication skills and experience learning in an online community. This paper examines two experiences of online discussion, designed to develop online learning communities amongst first year undergraduates. It raises questions about students’ capacity to participate and suggests that all students benefit if those who lack the skills, confidence or motivation for taking part are identified and supported from the outset. If teachers can identify individual students’ needs, perhaps through an initial audit, then appropriate support can be arranged, while the arguments justifying participation in online discussion need to be explicit and persuasive. These issues are examined with reference to the professional practice of community development