Introduction:
This session presents strategies for successfully building community within online learning environments. One factor that characterizes successful face-to-face (in person) learning spaces is the development of camaraderie among the learners during a series of lectures or course of study (Branch & Lee, 2020) [1]. However, replicating at atmosphere of mutual support among students in virtual learning spaces has been extremely difficult. The problem is that our instructional practices during the past five years of online instruction have either neglected pedagogical practices that established community among the learner group or failed to overcome the barriers to building community among the student groups. A main advantage of fostering student cohesiveness during coursework is that students learn to leverage their knowledge with the knowledge shared by their peers, thus generating an exponentially growing learning environment leading to a higher degree of student achievement.

Context:
This session is framed by the concept promoted by Johnson, Johnson and Smith’s (1991) [2] strategies for [cooperative] learning in college classrooms that emphasize creating interdependence, devoting time for developing teamwork skills, and cultivating an atmosphere of individual accountability. The contention is that by establishing an atmosphere of comradeship, fellowship, brotherhood, sisterhood, togetherness, solidarity, sociability, team spirit and esprit de corps, students exiting such learning spaces will be prepared for the reality outside the classroom as they engage in further studies or the workforce.
This session will focus on establishing classroom norms, expectations and protocols. There will be demonstrations about ways to simulate the positive attributes associated with effective in-person learning spaces. A summary of practical instructional design strategies will be presented.

References:
[1] R. Branch, & H. Lee. Collaborative Learning: Patterns of Student Perceptions of the Contributions of Other Team Members During a Group Project. Journal of Higher Education Theory and Practice, 20(7). https://doi.org/10.33423/jhetp.v20i7.3148 , 2020.
[2] D.W. Johnson, R. Johnson, & K. Smith, K. “Active learning: Cooperation in the college classroom’” Edina, MN: Interaction Book Company, 1998.

Keywords: Building Community, Instructional Design, Online Learning, Learning Space.