Note: This post expands on one of the 3 suggestion I made for keeping students motivated that I talked about in this post.
One of the very first online courses I took ended up being a crash course in the power of an online community. Which is funny because the course was actually about photography. Let me tell you how it went down:
I signed up for the course, immediately received all the lessons and downloadable worksheets, and was plopped into a Facebook group created exclusively for members of this program. This was back in 2012 when creating these types of groups was sort of a new thing.
Anyway, at first it was great! Many of us members were checking in with the group every day to ask questions, see if we could answer questions, and celebrate our business victories. We knew where everyone was from, how long they had been in business, what their specialty was, and where they needed extra support and encouragement. We began to know each other as people, even as friends. One woman’s husband was a Google Ads expert, so she had him teach our group some Google Ads tricks. Some members were even getting together in person to talk about business AND to just, you know, hang out with each other.
And it was awesome! To have a tribe of people going through a similar process is so validating and helpful as you traverse new terrain.
As for the instructor, well, she popped in every so often to answer questions, but she said so herself that she wasn’t really “in Facebook” all that much. But that was okay, because we had each other in this group and we were figuring it all out together.
But then something happened. The instructor sent in a second wave of students into the group. At first we were all happy to help the “newbies” after all, we had been asking the same questions not too long ago. But it didn’t take long before our (the original) group’s questions became buried under question after question from the new members. (Despite the fact that they could have used the “search” feature.)
Eventually, the instructor caught on to the problem and split up the group. But it was too late. Most of us were no longer in the group the way we use to be. The magic was lost.
The take home lesson: smaller, more intimate groups are better. They are better for forming relationships. They are easier to manage. They create a sense camaraderie.
I love what Jody Donovan said here. She states, “Taking an online course should be more than sitting in front of a computer — real engagement involves becoming part of the community of learners.” Amen!
If you’re worried about having to oversee a bunch of groups, I suggest making use of “mentors”, students that have successfully gone through your program and that you have personally given a stamp of approval, so to speak, as leaders in your groups.
There’s also no reason to limit your group to Facebook. That’s just one platform. Granted, it’s a strong one, but there are others out there that you can use along with or instead of Facebook. Maybe Marco Polo would be a great connector for your students. Or maybe designated Google Hangouts, Skype calls, or Zoom. Or maybe you can do it the good old fashioned way- in person.
Whatever method you choose, remember that we all crave human connection and interaction. Let your students know they are not alone in wanting to change their lives. Help them find like-minded people by creating a tight knit community.
What do you think? Are connections a part of your online course or program? What methods have you used to bring students together?