Fighting the feeling of Isolation within a Online Distance Education Environment
 

Abstract

This paper will explore the ideas of social interactions in any classroom environment. It will also explore attrition rates related to isolation in the distance education environment and the need to create a feeling of community among the participants within a distance education course. In addition it will address the need to connect with the instructor. It will then address ways to create a strong interactive environment that provides the feeling of community the learners in a distance education need.
 

Introduction

Man is a social creature; this statement has been made by many people in many environments. Humans need to experience and interact with their own kind. Much of a person’s self worth and self esteem is related to how they feel others perceive them. In order for them to feel they are doing well a person needs feedback from those they feel are in authority over them, or involved around them. The need for this feeling of connection and community is never stronger than in an environment where people are subject to feelings of isolation. One such environment would be distance education. Distance education being defined as where the learner and the teacher are separated by space and sometimes by time.
A learner often needs to feel they are connected to those around them to feel they have understood and are making sense of that information they are receiving and learning. In an environment where much, if not all, of the learning is taking place separated from those teaching as well as other participants of the course, the need for community and inclusion is never stronger.
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