STUDENT ENGAGEMENT, E-CONNECTIVITY, AND CREATING RELATIONSHIPS IN THE ONLINE CLASSROOM Omar Parks, Andree Swanson, & Vanessa Washington July 17, 2014 Presented at Missouri Distance Learning Association Conference, Kansas City, MO

Introduction

 This study examined the following concepts:  Student Engagement  E-connectivity  Creating relationships  The goal was to gain a better understanding of faculty/student relationships in the online environment.

Six Themes of E-Connectivity  Swanson, Hutkin, Babb and Howell (2010)  Produced three domains and six themes: Cognitive Show relevance to students. Affective Establish e-connectivity. Instructor presence. Positive communication. Ability to be open to social networking. Psychomotor Use of technologies to e-connect.

Emerging Themes of Engagement

Encouraging Trust  Strong Interactive Skills  Overcoming the lack of face-to-face.  Building Camaraderie/The importance of Introductions.  Confidence to Take Risks  Creating opportunities for engagement.

Actively Build Trust  Address Issues Upfront  Share Class Information  Self-directed learning  Trust enables learners to bond with one another  Reducing Isolation

Create a Social Presence  Create Social Presence  Rich discussion threads improved social presence.  Develop Training for Faculty  Grounded in the real world.  Must be relevant to be absorbed.  Introduce new strategies “on the job”

Encourage Students to Collaborate  Encourage students to collaborate.  More time to think.  Various modes of stimulation.  Meeting high expectations set by the course and the instructor.  Active and collaborative learning

Focus on Personal Contact  Focus on Personal Contact  Create instances for active participation.  Personal contact to students.

Use of e-tools to increase engagement  Use e-tools to increase engagement.  More time to think.  Various modes of stimulation.  Meeting high expectations set by the course and the instructor.  Active and collaborative learning.

Consider agentic engagement  Consider agenctic engagement.  Student autonomy.  Different learning approaches.  Motivate in a supportive manner.

Future Research Conclusion

Themes of Engagement Building trustStrong interactive skills Confidence to take risks Actively build trustAddress issue upfront Share class information Enable learners to bond with one another Create a social presenceCreate rich discussion threads improved social presence Encourage students to collaborate More time to think Various modes of stimulation Meeting high expectations set by the course and the instructor Active and collaborative learning Focus on personal contact Create instances for active participation Personal contact to students Use e-tools to increase engagement More time to think Various modes of stimulation Meeting high expectations set by the course and the instructor Active and collaborative learning Consider agentic engagement Student autonomy Different learning approaches Motivate in a supportive manner

Parks, Washington, Swanson Themes for Engagement  Build trust  Create a social presence  Encourage collaboration  Focus on personal contact

Future Research  Exploration of a set of underpinning variables used to build trust (create a social presence, encourage collaboration or personal contact).  A suggested approach to assess existing student skills needed in online environment.

References

 Karaksha, A., Grant, G., Anoopkumar-Dukie, S., Niru Nirthanan, S. S., & Davey, A. K. (2013). Student engagement in pharmacology courses using online learning tools. American Journal of Pharmaceutical Education, 77(6),  Naidu, S. (2011). Editorial. Distance Education, 32(3), doi: /  Reeve, J. (2013). How students create motivationally supportive learning environments for themselves: The concept of agentic engagement. Journal of Educational Psychology, 105(3), doi: /a  Robinson, C., & Hullinger, H. (2008). New benchmarks in higher education: Student engagement in online learning. Journal of Education for Business, 84(2),  Skinner, E. (2009). Using community development theory to improve student engagement in online discussion: A case study. ALT-J: Research in Learning Technology, 17(2),  Slagter van Tryon, P. J., & Bishop, M. J. (2012). Evaluating social connectedness online: The design and development of the Social Perceptions in Learning Contexts Instrument. Distance Education, 33(3),  Swanson, A., Hutkin, R., Babb, D., & Howell, S. (2010, Sep). Establishing the best practices for social interaction and e-connectivity in online higher education classes. Doctoral dissertation, University of Phoenix, Arizona. Publication Number: Retrieved from  Watson, K., McIntyre, S., & McArthur, I. (2010). Trust and relationship building: Critical skills for the future of design education in online contexts. Iridescent: Icograda Journal of Design Research, 1 (1).

Biographies

Omar Parks, DBA  Dr. Omar Parks is an Assistant Professor in the Forbes School of Business at Ashford University.  He holds a Doctorate of Business Administration in Management from Argosy University, a Master of Arts in Education in Adult Education and Distance Learning from the University of Phoenix, and a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Theatre and Dance from the University of Wyoming.  See more at: business.htm#sthash.bbUBUgn8.dpuf

Vanessa Washington, PhD  Dr. Vanessa Washington is an Assistant Professor in the Forbes School of Business at Ashford University.  She has a PhD in Organizational Management from Capella University, a Master of Business Administration from Bellevue University, and a Bachelor’s degree in Business Education from the University of Nebraska.  See more at:

Andree Swanson, EdD  Dr. Andree Swanson is a full-time Assistant Professor in the Forbes School of Business at Ashford University.  She earned a Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration and Management from the University of Maryland European Division, a Masters of Human Relations from the University of Oklahoma, a Masters of Arts in Organizational Management from the University of Phoenix, and a Doctorate in Educational Leadership from the University of Phoenix.  See more at: