Online community

     The first method an instructor could use to create a sense of community in an online setting is to promote a way to share information and opinions on the subject they are learning.  Giving the students a setting, be it in a discussion board or in real-time sub-groups,  to bounce ideas off of each other and help each other see the different viewpoints on a subject is a great way to build a community within the student body.  Giving students a specific time to get into breakout rooms to share their thoughts on the subject or add their own insight from their knowledge is a great way to build a community.  Having a discussion board where students can post relevant information based on the topic, such as sharing a YouTube video and then having conversations or debates to broaden their understanding of the topic.  Creating a space in your online classroom for discussions to happen, especially on the first day, is a great way to build a community among the students.  Allowing part of the first class to be an introduction and conversation will build familiarity between the students and help ease future discussions and debates in the class.

    The second method is something called a gallery walk.  A gallery walk is when a small group of students present their information on a subject and present it to the classroom, then the rest of the student body expands upon that information or has a discussion based on that information.  In this method, the teacher chooses a number and that group with the coinciding number comes up to present their work.    Doing this not only has students learn new information on the subject but has them working with students they may have never worked with before.  This gives the students a chance to learn from each other and teaches them how to have a proper in-class discussion.  This method also promotes note-taking and problem-solving.  All in all, this method shows different insights into different groups' knowledge with the possibility of conversations and debates.

    The third method is to have an open forum all semester long for students to have appropriate conversations to help with studying, adding to the teacher's lessons, and sharing interesting ideas or knowledge from online that could help with furthering their in-class knowledge.  Having this for the students creates a sense of camaraderie and interest in the subject.  For example, if a student needs a study partner, they could reach out on this forum to ask for someone to study with.  The teacher could also use this forum as a way to spark a discussion among the students by posting a video or survey, as well as talking with the students to see what forms of assignments or study guides they prefer.  Overall, having an open forum gives the ability to have open communication and community with your students and between your students all year.

    My favorite method out of these three is the open forum.  I love the idea of students using their peers to gain further knowledge.  I would use the forum to make sure the students are not only understanding the material but whether or not they need an additional study guide or more time on a subject.   I would also love the idea that my students would be able to communicate with each other in a safe space and set up study groups.  I would use this forum as a way to promote using their resources as a way to study.  Overall, this method holds the most potential to help the students gain a community within the classroom.