Social Capital and Candlepower

“Social capital” and “online community” are two concepts that have become very important to me over the past year. As a student in online classes, I have worked hard to contribute to the feeling of community within my courses. I try to engage my fellow students in discussions that go beyond simply answering an instructor’s questions. I reach out to students who are struggling and work help them succeed. For me, it is not enough to receive a grade in a class. I like to see all of us succeed together. However, I do not see this same sense of responsibility in other students. If we were all to see ourselves as stakeholders in our own education and partners with the other students and the instructors in the success of the entire class, I think a sense of community would follow. This would not only have a positive effect on retention, in my opinion, but would increase the level of learning for all involved, including the instructor.

The next step, for me, is to learn how to create a sense of community (both online and face-to-face) as I work to become a teacher and also how to contribute to it. Clearly, it is not enough to build a Moodle course and let things unfold on their own. I’ve been in courses like that and there is no social capital at all. The sense of alienation and distance is palpable and detracts from any real learning that may take place. And, while I agree with the information regarding the “reflective pause” in the Candlepower presentation, I have seen little of this reflective listening and in-depth response take place in my online courses. More often than not, I see “wow, I really like your post” or “I agree!”, if there is any response at all. I have also seen the result of an emotional response that was not at all considered deeply before the “post” button was clicked. Chaos ensued. Damage control was necessary. The sense of community that may have existed for some, at that point, was destroyed, and the risk that true learning requires no longer took place.

In reading the article by Jeremy B. Williams and Joanne Jacobs (“Exploring the use of blogs as learning spaces in the higher education sector”), I can see that the use of blogs in an online course, as both online journals for personal reflection and also as a means of encouraging collaboration among students is one way to build social capital and a sense of community. This could not only lead to student’s finding their “academic voice” but also to thinking more critically about their own opinions and those of others in their class (“Academic literature on blogging” par. 3). This is an important step in education but not one that has been emphasized to any great extent in my experience.

Of course, any research that draws on the work of Vygotsky gains my attention. The scaffolding potential of learning through links and the “revising of learned concepts, enriching the learning experience” peaks my interest, with regard to ways to build social capital and a feeling of community and the research cited in the Williams article clearly bears consideration in that regard (Williams & Jacobs “Academic literature on blogging” par. 4). This is exactly what I have done in my own education. As someone who longs for intellectual discourse and academic discussion, I am intrigued by the potential of blogs within an online curriculum to raise the bar for critical thinking and conversation.

For my own courses, a blog within the class setting would have allowed me to pursue my own thoughts on reading assignments and course concepts outside of the required discussions. I am a student who usually reads beyond the required textbook, to gain more understanding of topics only touched on in a course which peak my interest or curiosity. One example is that of diversity and cultural competency. The “101” level courses we are required to take barely scratch the surface of the issues raised. I want more. So, I read and research on my own time and have no one locally with whom I can discuss or debate the feelings and questions this work raises. My response to this lack was to build a network of individuals on Twitter with whom I can interact and from whom I can learn. I highly recommend this, as it has led to more material to read and study. My mentor has also suggested that I begin writing more, in anticipation of the work I will need to do in graduate school. A blog would be a perfect format in which to formulate the ideas I have, before I begin to write more in-depth material.

One thought keeps occurring to me as I consider how to build social capital and online communities in an online class. In learning to teach children, we are taught to understand that learning to read should include social experiences with regard to reading. Rather than making it a solitary exercise filled with phonics drills and private reading experiences, social reading opportunities build and expand on a child’s journey toward literacy and fluency of language use. Would this not be the case for adults as well? Wouldn’t blogs as an integral part of an online course and the social environment they spark, then, enhance, expand, and build the social aspect of learning in an online course, to the benefit of all involved?

Resources

Ama, Suzie. “Candlepower: harnessing the power of asynchronous communications.” Course homepage. February 2010-March 2010. Cerro Coso Community College. 24 February 2010. < http://moodle.cerrocoso.edu/mod/resource/view.php?id=144528 >

Williams, Jeremy B. and Jacobs, Joanne. “Exploring the use of blogs as learning spaces in the higher education sector.” Australasian Journal of Educational Technology, 2004, 20(2), 232-247. 24 February 2010. < http://moodle.cerrocoso.edu/mod/resource/view.php?id=144530 >