Information Technology Reference
In-Depth Information
ions by means of a community designed with a
specific topic or purpose in mind.
One of the greatest benefits of a web-designed
community of learners is that all course materials
are available to the members at all times. If students
travel away from home they can keep up with the
coursework or activity in the community setting
that is occurring. Materials can be accessed any-
where and students can be involved in a discussion
or dialogue with colleagues in the community as
long as the Internet is available. Location does
not matter when content and information sharing
occurs via the Internet.
Isolation is a common problem for many indi-
viduals. By “isolation” I do not mean being alone
or being left alone. I mean being in a location that
is set geographically away from the mainstream
of a city, or a cultural group where travel is dif-
ficult to be a part of that location. It may seem
paradoxical that a technology that makes one sit
alone in front of a display screen can meet the need
for community. However, this is true in today's
society. There are many locations worldwide that
do not allow for participants to interact in a face-
to-face setting and therefore must resort to a virtual
environment to meet this need. A virtual or online
community allows people to respond to the feeling
of 'hunger for community that has followed the
disintegration of traditional communities around
the world' (Di Petta, 1998, p.55).
So how can a person who is isolated from the
rest of the community feel a part of this-group
of learners? In on-line discussion groups, for
example, we meet new people and confront new
ideas. We share particular interests or ideas with
like-minded individuals who share similar inter-
ests. Being a part of this type of experience gives
a feeling like coming home. A virtual community
can make one feel as personal and real as a physical
neighborhood can. A community member can be
active and participate with others often and begin
to feel closer than if they were in a face-to-face
setting. People from all over the globe can get to
know one another and learn from one another in
a way that would not have been possible as little
as twenty-five years ago.
There are concerns with membership in a vir-
tual community. Being in a virtual environment
is not free from problems, from difficulties with
either the technology or with the interactions
with other members of the group. Being a viable
member of a community takes time, commitment,
and a willingness to work with others. Being in a
virtual community is a voluntary and participatory
process. People within a community expect others
to be active and participatory. A community is
enriched only when others are willing to cooperate
and interact with peers inside that environment.
In a face-to-face setting we are often concerned
with who chooses or is chosen to participate. In
an online community we more often choose those
with whom we want to interact. If you become a
member of a group where you are reinforced for
your skill and knowledge, you will return time
and time again. You will converse with others and
build a relationship around the online program that
is being used (Hill, 2005). To state this simply an
online community and online interactions involve
people who connect with one another over time
and through space using the Internet as the pri-
mary medium. Online communities can form or
function around anything such as talking about
summer plans, vacations, pets, and work. Online
communities organize around political action,
introduce each other to would-be spouses and
together create new concepts.
A community is not an entity or a product. In-
stead, it is a process which is fluid in nature (Lock,
2002, p.395).A community evolves and requires a
highly interactive, loosely structured organization
with relations based on personal interactions. It
is a supportive environment where the members
are accommodated and empowered. It is also a
place that is responsive to the members' actions
and interactions. How the members relate to one
another and how the participants are kept engaged
all influence the evolution of the community. The
growth and longevity of the community is based
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