Getting the Most Out of Online Communities


Many factors contribute to whether or not participants in online communities have a
successful experience. The purpose of this document is to acquaint you with some of
these factors and to give you an opportunity to identify areas where you may need
additional assistance and support from district personnel during the course of the online
cohort activities.

We will discuss these points during our face-to-face meeting. Please use the
accompanying checklist to rate your comfort level in each area. Your responses on
these checklists will be used to determine further training activities.

1. Regular and reliable access to a computer and to the internet

  a. The computer in your office should have the necessary memory and speed to
   allow you to access and work efficiently in online environments. The on-site high
   speed internet access provided by the district facilitates working in an online
   community.
  b. Using a different computer: If you choose to use a computer in another location,
   depending upon the age of the computer, its configuration, and the system
   software used, you may find that accessing the online community becomes
   somewhat cumbersome.
  c. Using a dial-up internet connection: If you’re using a DSL or cable connection at
   another location, you won’t notice any difference in connection speed. However,
   when you use an off-site dial-up connection, you will notice that it takes longer for
   Web pages to open, to post responses online, and to download or upload files.

2. Access to the software you need
  a. The applications you need include: Internet Explorer (or another Web browser),
   Word, Excel, and PowerPoint.
  b. Using a different computer: Other computers may not have all these applications
   installed on the hard drive. Use the Start menu (Applications file on a Macintosh)
   to check All Programs to make sure the required applications are there.

3. Navigating the internet

You need to have basic proficiency in using Internet Explorer, Netscape, or another
internet browser. Required skills include knowing how to:
• Open the browser and enter a URL (uniform resource locator)
• Use the Back button
• Use the Forward button
• Open and use more than one browser window at a time
• Add a site to Favorites or Bookmarks
• Access and use a search engine (e.g., Google or Alta Vista)




4. Using E-mail

You need to have access to an e-mail account that you check daily. Required skills
include knowing how to:
• Compose and send an e-mail message
• Embed a URL in the body of an e-mail message
• Attach an application file (e.g., Word, Excel, PowerPoint) to an e-mail
• Download and open a file attachment
• Locate files you have downloaded

Using Software Applications

You need to have basic skills for Word, Excel, and PowerPoint. Required skills include
knowing how to:

• Open and save a new file
• Locate files you have saved previously
• Enter text or data

The Electronic Briefcase includes directions about application basics as well as step
sheets to use the templates and tools.


Being a Member of an On-Line Community

5. Threaded discussions
Threaded discussions enable cohort members to communicate with one another through
individual postings. The postings are archived in a special area and can be read,
responded to, and reviewed again later. All cohort members have access to their group’s
comments. The discussions are helpful because members can exchange ideas and
provide feedback to one another. You need to respond to at least one comment posted
by another cohort member each week.

When posting a comment in a threaded discussion, it’s important to ‘add value.’
Comments such as ‘Nice going,’ or ‘Good point,’ don’t provide any information to the
group. To add value in your posted responses, your remarks need to do one of the
following:

  a. Provide an example that supports the idea expressed in the comment you are
   responding to;
  b. Expand the idea presented in the posting you are responding to;
  c. Or, present another perspective of the topic of the posting you are responding to.


6. Threaded discussion etiquette

An online environment sometimes feels anonymous. It’s easy to post an entry or a
response to an entry posted by someone else without giving much thought to how your
words might be interpreted by other readers. This is because readers can’t see your
body language or hear your tone of voice. It’s important that threaded discussions be
safe spaces where cohort members are able to explore issues and support one another.
Keep the following suggestions in mind:

    a. Keep an open mind when reading postings. Respond in a way that builds
     conversations rather than shutting them down. You can do this by:
        i. Selecting your words and phrases carefully;
       ii. Asking for clarification if you think you have misunderstood a
         statement;
       iii. Being careful when using humor (jokes often require visual and aural
         clues to be funny);
       iv. Not using all caps when typing a response (it’s virtual shouting);
       v. Take the time to proof-read a comment before hitting the post button.
         Once it is posted, you cannot retrieve it.
    b. Post your own ideas, questions, or experiences to enhance conversations.
     Be sure your remarks are on topic.
    c. The mentors may engage in discussions, but they are resources and will not
     dominate discussions. The cohort members need to bring their ideas,
     questions, and expertise to the discussions. The more each individual
     contributes, the more opportunities there will be for everyone to learn
     something new.

Most importantly, respect privacy. Please keep remarks made online within the online
community.

7. Time management

Membership in an on-line community requires time. Many participants are not prepared
for the time it takes to complete activities, read postings, and write responses.

Your time commitment is two hours each week. In order for discussions to take place,
you need to plan to post your own work by Wednesday or Thursday each week. This
allows time for all members of the cohort to read and respond to other postings. With
your busy schedule, it may be easy to delay logging into the community, completing
activities, and entering into the discussions.

If you’re having difficulty, let me know right away (SJBrooks@aol.com).

8. My role as mentor

Provide assistance to cohort members.
Redirect discussions that get off-track.
Review and respond to the activities you post.
Respond to e-mails from individuals.