Why Is This Important?

Research has shown that a strong Community of Inquiry (CoI), or community of learning, is conducive, if not necessary, to learning in any environment, but especially online. When students relate to an online instructor as someone more than just a subject matter expert and begin to conceive of themselves as part of a larger community, they are more likely to be motivated, be satisfied with their learning and succeed in achieving the course objectives (Picciano, 2002; Rovai & Barnum, 2003; Richardson & Swan, 2003).

Introduce Yourself

In your syllabus, welcome video or in the prompt for the class introduction discussion, tell students a bit about yourself. Share your academic and professional background and talk about why you’re excited to teach this course. If your academic unit maintains faculty bio pages, provide the link to yours. Include a few personal details, such as family, pets or hobbies.

Add a Profile Photo in Canvas

If you don’t already have a profile picture in Canvas, add one. This will enable students to put a face with a name when they view announcements and discussions.

Use Video

Videos allow students to associate a face and a voice with your name. Add a welcome video to your course. Provide video introductions to the modules. These videos don't have to be long or formal. You can even record and embed directly within Canvas. You can also add audio or video feedback for students in SpeedGrader.

Provide an Icebreaker Activity

Let students introduce themselves and get to know each other. Ask them to share why they’re taking the class and what they’re looking forward to learning. For some creative ideas, see First Class Ice Breakers Using Mobile Devices by Jackie Gerstein, Ed.D.

Engage at Least Once Per Week

Your consistent presence reminds students this is not a self-paced course. Your engagement could be a weekly announcement, an assignment with a due date and feedback, a discussion where you are actively participating (such as a class Q&A), or a Zoom session.

Find Opportunities for Students to Collaborate

Let students learn from each other. Read Setting the Stage for Successful Group Work Online, and then create a collaborative assignment for your students.

Design for Community

For more tips and information on how to build a community of learning into your course design, see Applying the Community of Inquiry Framework.