·What are the characteristics of a successful learning community? ·How are successful communities facilitated and maintained? ·What lessons can be learnt from existing learning communities? ·What type of learning community will suit your organisation or situation? This user-friendly guide is written to help managers, professionals and learners, planning, facilitating or participating in online learning communities, as part of a structured learning programme, as an approach to continuous professional development, as a means of improving performance at work or as a dynamic approach to innovation and collaborative working. The book is relevant to senior mangers with a responsibility for strategic planning and change management. This can include new work practices involving working in multi-professional teams across traditional boundaries. It aims to engage readers in identifying key issues in relation to their own work situation and prompts readers to find their own solutions. Virtual Learning Communities provides practical guidance and includes extensive examples, case studies and activities. It is key reading for those involved in e-learning courses, professional trainers and staff developers with a responsibility for CPD, and professionals involved in facilitating new approaches to group work.

Building Online Learning Communities further explores the development of virtual classroom environments that foster a sense of community and empower students to take charge of their learning to successfully achieve learning outcomes. This is the second edition of the groundbreaking book by Rena Palloff and Keith Pratt and has been completely updated and expanded to include the most current information on effective online course development and delivery. A practical, hands-on guide, this resource is filled with illustrative case studies, vignettes, and examples from a wide variety of successful online courses. The authors offer proven strategies for handling challenges that include: Engaging students in the formation of an online learning community. Establishing a sense of presence online. Maximizing participation. Developing effective courses that include collaboration and reflection. Assessing student performance. Written for faculty in any distance learning environment, this revised edition is based on the authors many years of work in faculty development for online teaching as well as their extensive personal experience as faculty in online distance education. Rena M. Palloff and Keith Pratt share insights designed to guide readers through the steps of online course design and delivery.

"Online learning seems like a perfect solution for cost-conscious districts and busy teachers, but can these programs also deliver high-caliber professional development? Using one district's success story as a model, this timely book shows you how to combine well-designed online instruction with the energy of peer-to-peer collaboration." -- From back cover

The first chapter provides an overview of the popular systems for distance learning. In the second chapter, a review of all major social and economic activities in order to improve the system of virtual learning is given. The third chapter deals with the influence of technology in the management of educational institutions. The fourth chapter provides an overview of the graphic communication. The fifth chapter confirms that quality assurance remains an integral and indispensable part of the process of virtual learning. The sixth and seventh chapters are dedicated to health and mutual communication about health problems and causes. The eighth and ninth chapters are dedicated to massive open online courses (MOOC). The tenth chapter refers to the widespread use of virtual reality in industrial environments.

Makes a contribution to the field of distance education by presenting key perspectives on the state of the field and examining and discussing specific trends and issues faced by the distance learning community. This book provides insight into a wide array of themes revolving around work on communities of learning in Distance Education.

How can we design networked e-learning courses to ensure students participate in them and engage in quality learning outcomes? What happens in an e-learning course that is designed to foster group work and a sense of ‘community’? How can we research e-learning practice in ways that will enhance the processes of learning and teaching? This book outlines approaches to networked e-learning course design that are underpinned by a belief that students learn best in these contexts when they are organised in groups and communities. As such, the book is one of the first to provide a detailed analysis of what goes on in e-learning groups and communities. But how do students react to working in e-learning groups and communities? What determines their willingness to adopt new forms of learning in order to participate in these new courses? What actually happens in an e-learning community, and what impact does this have on students and tutors? This book examines these key questions through a variety of research approaches aimed at exploring the experience of e-learners as they participate in successful e-groups and communities. It also offers ways in which learning outcomes may be achieved in these communities and outlines the specific skills that students would develop through e-learning. E-learning Groups and Communities is essential reading for teachers, trainers, managers, researchers and students involved in e-learning courses as well as people interested in improving the quality of the learning experience.

Applicable at every academic level and in any subject, the text offers practical guidelines that are based on effective, current theories, and the extensive online teaching experience of the author. The book details 21 effective designs with guidelines, strategies, examples, and tips to assist readers in designing their own Online Collaborative Learning Community regardless of grade level, or delivery system (online, face-to-face, or mixed).

Building Online Learning Communities further explores the development of virtual classroom environments that foster a sense of community and empower students to take charge of their learning to successfully achieve learning outcomes. This is the second edition of the groundbreaking book by Rena Palloff and Keith Pratt and has been completely updated and expanded to include the most current information on effective online course development and delivery. A practical, hands-on guide, this resource is filled with illustrative case studies, vignettes, and examples from a wide variety of successful online courses. The authors offer proven strategies for handling challenges that include: Engaging students in the formation of an online learning community. Establishing a sense of presence online. Maximizing participation. Developing effective courses that include collaboration and reflection. Assessing student performance. Written for faculty in any distance learning environment, this revised edition is based on the authors many years of work in faculty development for online teaching as well as their extensive personal experience as faculty in online distance education. Rena M. Palloff and Keith Pratt share insights designed to guide readers through the steps of online course design and delivery.

"This book is anchored in the concept that information technology empowers and enhances learners' capabilities adopting a learning summit on using the machine for the augmentation of human intellect for productivity, improvement, and innovation at individual, organizational, societal, national, and global levels"--Provided by publisher.

Online and Social Networking Communities is a professional guide written for educational practitioners and trainers who wish to use online communication tools effectively in their teaching. Focusing on the student experience of learning in online communities, it addresses ‘web 2.0’ and other ‘social software’ tools and considers the role these technologies play in supporting student learning and building learning communities. The guide offers: real-world case studies and quality research must-have lists of useful resources guidance on building and supporting online learning communities discussion of how collaborative learning can be assessed coverage of wikis, forums, blogging, instant messaging, Second Life, Twitter, desktop videoconferencing and social networking sites such as Facebook. Online and Social Networking Communities helps educators and trainers develop a critical approach by exploring online learning from both the student’s and educator’s perspective. This practical guide provides the tools to help develop confident and thoughtful online educators, able to create successful and enjoyable learning experiences for their students.