Building a Sense of Community in Online Courses

Building a sense of community in an online environment is beneficial for students that want to feel connected to other learners. When students feel they are part of a community they interact with each other and feel connected to other participants which helps them form a sense of identity to their work, products, or each other. Research by Maxwell and Shackelford (2012) study which online activities within a classroom builds a sense of community. 

An online sense of community can be defined as, “a feeling that members have of belonging, a feeling that members matter to one another and to the group, and a shared faith that members’ needs will be met through their commitment to be together” (McMillan & Chavis, 1986, p. 9).  Students feel a sense of identity and often share similarities in goals. 

Engaged students have something called cognitive presence. Cognitive presence develops when people have sustained communication and they can collaborate to explore, construct, confirm, understand and resolve content (Garrison, 2007). They are actively engaged in working together to understand a problem, its parts, and solutions. 

Students will also need social presence. Social presence is “the ability of participants in a community of inquiry to project themselves socially and emotionally, as ‘real’ people, through the medium of communication being used” (Garrison, et. al., 2000, p. 94). The tools should allow for them to reflect their identity into the online classroom. 

The researchers obtained 381 surveys through the courses of 110 professors to obtain their data. They found that certain activities offered higher levels of community building. This includes introductions, collaborative group projects, contributing personal experiences, entire class online discussions and exchanging resources. The order starts with the most beneficial. Students appear to need to know each other, work with each other, and share with each other. 

Garrison, et. al. (2000). Critical inquiry in a text-based environment. Computer Conference in Higher Education, 2. 

Garrison, D. (2007). Online community of inquiry review: Social, cognitive, and teaching presence issues. Journal of Asynchronous Learning networks, 11 (1). 

Maxwell, M. & Shackelford, J. (2012). Sense of community in graduate online education: contribution of learner to learner interaction. The International Review of Research in Open and Distance Learning,  13 (4). 

McMillian, D. & Chavis, D. (1986). Sense of community: a definition and theory. Journal of Community Psychology, Psychological Sense of Community, I: Theory and Concepts, 14 (1).

Decade of Global Skills Updating-OECD Report

Education at a Glance covers a number of global concepts in higher education. It was published in 2013 from OECD which seeks to create a better understanding of educational issues as well as disseminate information on the education industry of its members. Within the report one can find valuable information on global trends, changing demographics, incomes and much more. Some of the highlights are related to gender flattening, higher level of educational attainment, and potential returns on educational investments.

OECD participating countries found that women are becoming education than at any point in the past. Younger populations across both genders have increased in their educational attainment. This is an international phenomenon. Since 2011, 33% of women and 30% of men have obtained a level of higher education. It is expected that 83%of all OECD young people will eventually obtain some level of upper secondary education.

Upper secondary education means that students have either gone to college or some trade school. Higher education generally means college work. The world has become a much more technical place and people are adjusting by learning new skills and abilities. Men are still seeking skills in engineering, manufacturing and construction while females are looking for programs in business, law, social sciences, health and welfare. 

In the United States, Brazil and Greece people without an upper secondary education generally earn about 65% of those with. The skills and abilities needed over the past 10 years have changed dramatically. People need higher levels of understanding and abilities in order to compete in a more technologically connected world. Those without that higher level of education seem to be losing income and opportunities in many nations. 

The report also indicates that in general society earns a higher rate of return when it invests in higher education. The graduate earns more than the cost of education and society also earns greater than its investment. This return comes in the form of higher taxes, higher employ-ability, and as a result of the products/services production. The report argues that higher levels of skill development and education can be as much as 3 times in the United States. 

Education is becoming an important part of world education. As industrial technology makes its way around the globe and information is transferred through global business networks the need for higher levels of complex thinking is needed. Higher education fosters that greater complexity but costs a significant investment in time and money. The past decade has seen a global shift in worker demographics leaving many behind but also creating opportunities for others. 

The types of people who are likely to be successful are those who are lifelong learners who seek out knowledge and the practical application of that knowledge. This is why it is important for students to not only the understanding of concepts but how they actually apply to both their lives and the working world. Those who do not have the motivation or faculty to continue to learn will find themselves falling behind those who are pushing forward in search of greater opportunities. 

OECD Report-Education at a Glance 2013

Focusing on Selling Experiences versus Products in the New Economy

Service dominated logic or S-D Logic may be a better viewpoint to train managers and teach college students about the nature of modern business. Considering how much society has changed over the past few decades the movement from tangible goods to service offerings creates a fundamental shift in the economic system. This fundamental shift should be incorporated into training and education so that decision-makers can master new economic conditions.

A total of 75% of all business revenue is currently service oriented while 80% of the GNP is service related (Ford & Bowen, 2008). That is a huge number! With this fundamental change from agricultural, products, and commodities to service oriented offerings it is necessary to train managers on the new S-D vantage point of seeing and perceiving their operations in a new light. Such an approach will help decision makers view organizations and problems from a perspective that actually reflects current economic activities.

The differences in technique are significant. According to Vargo and Lusch (2004), a shift from products to intangibles, specialized skills, knowledge and processes requires companies to focus more on marketing and integrate of operational processes. If an organization is selling experiences (i.e. service) then their approach to management would be completely different and decisions would focus closely on enhancing that perceived value.

The selling of experiences occurs whenever a company uses services as the stage and products as the prop (Pine & Gilmore, 1999). Where companies once showcased their products and earned revenue they are now making the majority of their revenue from the services attached to those products. There is a fundamental shift in thinking that focuses on the intangible but extremely important psychological experiences of services while less on the give market value of products.

Let us put this to an example. An organization sells an electric toothbrush and earns a few dollars of revenue. Under traditional economic models the sale is made when the transaction is completed. Yet in a service economy it is possible to sell the experience of being beautiful with white teeth. The selling of the toothbrush may be part of a beauty makeover service that transforms a person’s image and comes with teeth whitening, cosmetics, hair products and other related offerings. The products are secondary to the service.

Changing the perspective creates greater opportunities to maximize revenue generation streams. The economic approach adjusts to better reflect modern economic conditions. Operations become more of a support and enhancer to experiences than a logistical path of selling products. The very way people are trained, the type of systems used, and the marketing mix adjust to enhance the experiences and positive feelings of customers.

Tips:

-View experiences as service.

-Sell products that enhance that experience.

-Adjust management styles, organizational structure, and operations to enhance experiences of customers.

-Focus on the total customer experience.

-Raise the perceived value of products with service.

-Integrate operations into the marketing strategy.

Ford, R. & Bowen, D. (2008). A service-dominant logic for management education: its time. Academy of Management Learning and Education, 7 (2).

Pine, B. & Gilmore, J. (1999). The experience economy. Boston, MA: HBS Press.

Vargo, S.  & Lusch, R.(2004). Evolving to a new dominant logic for marketing. Journal of Marketing, 68 (1)

 

Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 and Whistleblowing

Source

Depending on who one asks, different definitions of whistleblowing exist.  Eaton and Akers (2007) stated that “In its simplest form, whistleblowing involves the act of reporting wrongdoing within an organization to internal or external parties” (para. What is Whistleblowing).  Most organizations have Whistleblower hotlines.  Conducting a quick Google search searching for hotlines resulted in most state government, state schools, and major corporations.

Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 (SOX)

Of impetus in the creation of Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 (SOX) was the scandalous affairs of Enron, WorldCom, and Tyco (Eaton & Akers).  SOX set forth rules for corporate governance that were not in place prior to 2002, thus the scandals.  “After all, SOX was developed in response to high-profile corporate scandals that included Enron, WorldCom, and Tyco, and was not designed to address problems in other sectors” (Eaton & Akers, 2007, p. 1).  From the WorldCom and Enron situations two whistleblowers emerged.  “In 2002, Time magazine named whistleblowers Cynthia Cooper of WorldCom, Sherron Watkins of Enron” (para. What is Whistleblowing).

From the WorldCom and Enron situations, two whistleblowers emerged.  “In 2002, Time magazine named whistleblowers Cynthia Cooper of WorldCom, Sherron Watkins of Enron” (para. What is Whistleblowing).  One of the most famous whistleblowers was Sherron Watkins who turned in Ken Lay in the Enron scandle.  It seems that the employees who lost money have found ways to make money from the situation. Right after the company filed bankruptcy, Enron-related products appeared all over eBay, the online auction.  At one point, in 2002, there were up to 4200 auctions (Hageman, 2002).

Sherron Watkins Today

Sherron Watkins is now presenting on ethics and reminds college students today of the importance of ethics in the workplace.

Don’t be afraid to speak the truth. The real tragedy is when people stay silent.” And, don’t allow big bucks to lure you into overlooking wrongs. 

Students entering the workforce should pay attention to the tone set by an employer’s CEO, and associate with those who demonstrate pristine ethics and values, and who love the organization. “I used to think the person at the top didn’t matter, but now, I believe the complete opposite. The one person at the top makes all the difference,” Watkins said. (Heidleberg University, 2010)

Dr. Jeffrey Wigand

Interesting, there is another tale of whistleblowing that was made into a movie called The Insider.  This movie was based on another corporate whistle blower, Dr. Jeffrey Wigand.  (“A research chemist comes under personal and professional attack when he decides to appear in a "60 Minutes" expose on Big Tobacco”)

“Dr. Wigand decided to go public by delivering a damning courtroom deposition against his employer – a move that eventually led to the tobacco industry’s $246 billion litigation settlement in 1998 to help pay for smoking-related health care bills in the U.S." (Thomas, 2010).  Although Dr Wigand endured severe retaliation, much like Sherron Watson, he advises young people to stand up for ethical behavior.  “With regard to Dr. Wigand's advice to young people, what astonishes me is that despite his own experience of severe retaliation and negative effects on his life, he advises young people to try to change the system” (Marcia, 2004, para. 4).

More on whistleblower retaliation in future articles.

Author: Dr. Andree Swason

References

Eaton, T. V., & Akers, M. D. (2007). Whistleblowing and good governance: Policies for universities, government entities, and nonprofit organizations. The CPA Journal Online. Retrieved from http://www.nysscpa.org/cpajournal/2007/607/essentials/p58.htm

Enron whistleblower: Ethics matter in corporate culture. (2010). Heidleberg University. From http://www.heidelberg.edu/newsevents/2010/patadamsfall2010

Hageman, W. (2002, Jan 28). Enron ethics manual and much more for sale on eBay. Knight Ridder Tribune Business News. Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com/docview/462313204?accountid=32521

Marcia, P. M. (2004). Whistle-blowing research and the insider: Lessons learned and yet to be learned. Journal of Management Inquiry, 13(4), 364-366. Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com/docview/203306587?accountid=32521 

Thomas, C. (2010, Nov.). Whistleblowing is dangerous to your health. The Ethical Nag. Retrieved from http://ethicalnag.org/2010/11/20/whistleblowing-is-dangerous-to-your-health/