Establishing Community and Avoiding Conflict in Online Classes

Establishing Community:

a.   Set up a cyber café and encourage postings

b.   Instructors can model community.

c.    Younger students may already be used to online communities like “MySpace” and “FaceBook.” You may make it clear that you require formal writing.

d.   Provide a good orientation to what is expected.

e.    Allow some flexibility.

f.       Give students a sense of control. Allow them to not post but read in one or two forums.

g.   Have students share details about their lives if appropriate.

h.    Teaching by vignettes or Case Studies encourages participation.

i.        Begin each posting addressing the student personally, in order to personalize the interaction and create a more personal connection.

 Conflict in an online class:

a.   Phrases like “let’s take a step back” or “I’m glad to see that a sensitive issue has been raised” may start to diffuse the situation.

b.   Remind students of the issues involved, which do not have to involve personalities.

c.    If students interject political or religious beliefs into the discussion remind them that this is not the purpose of the exercise.

d.   You can delete postings with personal attacks. Make it clear in the rubric that this is going to happen.

e.    Ask open-ended questions to get students to clarify their opinions.

f.       Resource on conflict management: http://www.mindtools.com/pages/article/newLDR_81.htm

http://www.facultyfocus.com/articles/effective-classroom-management/conditions-associated-with-classroom-conflict/

Netiquette rules: http://www.albion.com/netiquette/corerules.html  

g.   Make the rules clear to students at the start of class. Students can establish their own “class charter” on the ground rules.

h.    Sometimes conflict is good. Students should learn how to manage conflict in online classes because they will more and more be expected to work online in groups in business.