Following up on my article regarding Adult Online Learners, I asked Phil McNair, our Vice President for Academic Services to discuss some of our efforts for more interactivity among our students. Phil’s guest article is printed below.
A concern of many students attending college online is that they are not having a “real” college experience: no football games, no dormitories, no cafeterias or gyms or face to face interaction with fellow students. Perhaps the biggest difference between online and traditional education is the social component; the sense of community (or lack thereof) one develops over time while engaging in learning activities. Academics is one component of a learning environment, but not the only component. Traditional schools spend a significant amount of resources on the non-academic aspects of their programs with corresponding impacts on their tuition and fees. The budget for facilities maintenance on most large college campuses approaches the annual budget of APUS. While this reality means that online schools should be able to offer courses for lower tuition than land-based schools, it does not necessarily signify that the two types of learning environments are otherwise equal.
In short, community matters. Much research has been done to validate that students who feel a sense of connection, or community, with their school are less likely to drop out than those with weaker ties. The renowned retention expert Vincent Tinto has published numerous articles that identify community, along with academic quality and support services, as one of the key factors in influencing student behavior. Students stay where they feel they belong; without a sense of community they may not feel like they are part of something to which it is worth belonging.
The challenge for online institutions such as APUS is to create an environment where a virtual community can grow and thrive, providing students with opportunities to connect with their peers outside the classroom in a spirit of comradeship and mutual interest. It was in this spirit that we established the first Student Lounge several years ago – a virtual discussion area where students could exchange thoughts and ideas and expand their APUS experience beyond class. Building on the success of that primitive beginning we have recently introduced the Community Forum (please note that if you are not already a student or have not already gained access you may not be able to see the Community Forum), an all-new product that replaces the original Student and Faculty Lounges.
The new Student and Faculty Lounges, as part of the Community Forum, operate outside the Educator® learning management system, and may be accessed from within the classroom or from the public web. The features are more robust, consistent with software designed for the purpose of community interaction. There are individual areas within the Community Forum for students, faculty, and alumni, as well as an area where all can meet in a virtual University Commons. Locating the Forum outside the classroom allows alumni and students not presently taking classes to participate, which was not possible with the original lounges.
I encourage you to login to the new Forum and check it out. Share your views. Express yourself. Benefit from the knowledge and experience of others. If you are not currently taking classes, please contact the appropriate office below for information on how to gain access.
For student access write studentaffairs@apus.edu
For faculty access write facultysupport@apus.edu
For alumni access write studentaffairs@apus.edu
There are many virtual community initiatives underway at APUS, each intended to strengthen the bonds between students and throughout the institution while chipping away at the sense of isolation so common among online learners. APUS has a public group on Facebook, is a member of LinkedIn and is providing classroom and other educational content to viewers on iTunes. As these bonds grow stronger, the learning environment will expand beyond the classroom, and hopefully, students will appreciate that the strength of APUS encompasses more than its classrooms.
