Building Learning Communities in Online Courses: the importance of interaction

Abstract This article discusses course design factors affecting the success of asynchronous online learning, with a specific focus on the social development of learning communities through online discussion. It reports on an empirical investigation of correlations between 22 course design factors and student perceptions of satisfaction, learning, and interaction with instructors and classmates using data collected from 73 courses offered through the State University of New York Learning Network (SLN) in the spring 1999 semester. Data analyses revealed that three factors were significantly related to student perceptions—clarity and consistency in course design, contact with and feedback from course instructors,…

• SU
  State University of New York
• JA
  Johnson and Johnson