Developing Online Communities

Learn: Moderating Discussion Boards to Engage a Community

Transactional Distance can cause student experience, satisfaction, course engagement and completion to plummet according to varied research and work done at the University of Edinburgh.

Using effective technology in your teaching is key to maintaining a community when you are not present with your students. 

We have example scenarios to work on together and we will share how you can use discussion boards to engage students and improve their experience. Effectively moderating discussion boards helps build a community and bring staff and students together productively. 

Learning Outcomes:

• Understand Transactional distance theory and how to combat some symptoms 

• Understand how to use discussion boards to support student engagement

• Discuss ways to handle common problems within online discussions

Learn: Using Groups in Learn

Learn is the University’s virtual learning environment. This online session presented by Rebecca Morris, will cover the topics below and give you the opportunity to ask questions about them. The session will last for 1 hour, including 20-30 minutes set aside for Q&A. 

Learning Outcomes: 

• Understand the different group types 

• Create groups with manual enrolment 

• Set up self-enrol groups 

• Edit Groups 

• Set up a group assignment 

• Create a group Smart View 

• Add and remove group tools 

• Import and Export Groups 

• Delete a Group 

• Email a group 

Learn: Communication tools in Learn

Learn is the University’s virtual learning environment. This online session will cover the topics below and give you the opportunity to ask questions about them. The session will last for 1 hour, including 20-30 minutes set aside for Q&A. 

 Learning Outcomes: 

• Identify good practice in the use of Learn communication tools 

• Set up and use a wiki 

• Set up and use a journal 

• Set up and use a discussion board and forums 

• Set up and use a blog 

• Create a link to collaboration tools within a course

Academic Blogging: Blogging to build your professional profile

This workshop will introduce you to the Academic Blogging Service and provide an overview of the benefits of professional blogging, writing for blogs, understanding privacy, copyright and open licensing, and how to amplify your blog with social media. 

The workshop will also guide participants through the process of setting up a new blog, choosing a theme, adding posts, and managing privacy and access permissions. Links to additional support resources and course will be provided.

Learning Outcomes: 

• The University’s Academic Blogging Service 

• The benefits of professional blogging 

• Writing for blogs 

• Amplifying your blog with social media 

• Dealing with comments and managing access permissions 

• Setting up a blog on blogs.ed.ac.uk 

• Choosing your blog theme 

• Adding posts and media to your blog