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tb06 1/25/2010 1:05:02

General Session - Conference Presentation Only (no formal paper)

//Deborah Brien, Kaplan University, Greensboro, NC, USA, dbrien@kaplan.edu// //Trevor Belcher, Kaplan University, Ft. Lauderdale, FL, USA, tbelcher@kaplan.edu//
 * The Experience of Online Community Building: Lessons Learned from Theory to Practice**

Community building in the online learning environment can be challenging. As more college instructors are contemplating the variety of community building tools to enhance the online learning experience, they face a plethora of choices ranging from the use of online social networking tools such as Facebook, Twitter, and MySpace, to blogs, newsletters, and virtual clubs. In addition to deciding which tool to use, many college instructors are assessing whether or not the use of such tools actually has a positive impact on learning outcomes and cultivating a sense of community in the distance environment. This presentation focuses on the experience and practical lessons learned by two academic department chairs. Emphasis is placed on challenges, rewards, and opportunities from inception to maintaining.

Novice, Intermediate, Advanced, All Audiences community building, networking, collaboration, learning outcomes