1. Audience Analysis: Decide on the target audience and its characteristics. Consider the learners' experiences in using the Internet. Identify the learners' knowledge level...
2. Limitations: Ensure that all members of the target audience have access to the Internet, microcomputers and related technologies. Othersise, the community must make provision to provide access to participants without access to technology...
3. Task Analysis: Determine the task that users will perform while using the tools available and participating in the community. Identify pre-requisites that users must possess before qualifying to participating in the community...
4. Evaluation: The developers of the learning community must ensure that the value of participants' contribution can be judged. This will ensure that community goals are addressed...
Facilitation, Moderation and Pedagogical Considerations:
Provide Interaction: Online communities must allow multiple kinds of interactions that contribute to the overall goals of the learning community...
Provide Immediate Feedback: Frequent feedback is very important in online learning communities. Feedback must be personalized and addressed to the individual students' work...
Provide Practice: Professional developments of facilitators is critical before facilitating any online community activity. Community participants without the necessary skills will get and eventually drop out...
Assessment: A variety of methods are essential for evaluating online learning communities, students, participation and educational program...
For this vector, we will assess the technical reality of British Columbia Open University. This comprises of three research universities (SIMON FRASER UNIVERSITY, the UNIVERSITY OF BRITISH COLUMBIA, and the UNIVERSITY OF VICTORIA) plus the Open Learning Agency (OLA) in British Columbia - Canada which have operated a very successful consortium since 1979. Courses and programs are also offered in co-operation with other educational institutions, professional associations, workplaces and community organizations.
Some features of this consortium include:
1. An open access program, enabling students to complete a full degree at a distance...
2. Courses can be combined from different universities and OLA, regardless of prior qualifications, or by tranferring approved programs that are taken at a distance...
3. Students who complete a degree this way are awarded a degree from the Open University of British Columbia, which is recognized by government and Associations of Universities and Colleges of Canada. There have been over eleven hundred graduates through this program...
4. Students can easily transfer credits from one university to another...
5. There is joint planning to avoid duplication of courses. The universities and OLA meet regularly to exchange program information and to avoid duplication of Distance Education Programs as far as possible...
6. There's joint publicity and marketing of distance education courses and programs at a university level. OLA publishes a single calendar that list all the courses and programs available by distance in the province at a university level...
7. OLA provides free student counselling and advisory services for anyone interested in taking a university level distance education course...
8. OLA operates a 'credit bank' where students with qualifications from outside the province can have these accredited for use in the province...
Additionally, Open University (OU) courses use a wide range of print, video and audio media as well as computer technology in their delivery of subject material to students. Some courses also use television programs broadcast on the Knowledge Network to support and supplement course material. OU is a leader in the use of computer conferencing in the delivery of education and online learning. This allows students around the province to receive tutoring online and to participate in discussions and debates.
