Out of Isolation

Kelley Walters, Katia Nyysti

OAI: oai:igi-global.com:187820 • DOI: 10.4018/978-1-5225-2682-7.ch010

Having a supportive community in graduate school is a key element that increases the probability of a student's success in their program. Online learning can often feel very isolating both for students and faculty. In a 1:1 teaching model that offers more personalized feedback to students, students can spend significant time in their studies without communication with other faculty, students or school administrators. Such isolation can inhibit the development of a supportive community. In this chapter, we will explore how a graduate school initiated a transition in their culture from one of isolation to one of community by increasing faculty and students' ability to engage and communicate to each other beyond their courses. We will review the strategies they implemented, the challenges they faced, the successes they saw, how they reviewed their progress and how they plan to use their initial work as a foundation for growing a more engaged graduate culture out of isolation and into community.

Web-Based Teaching & Learning Education Higher Education Computer Science and Information Technology