Online Student Clubs: Interacting Beyond the Virtual Classroom
Online students enjoy the convenience and flexibility of learning online. One facet of the learning experience that sometimes may be missing is the social interaction of a traditional campus.
"It is a popular misconception that online students need less support than their on-campus peers," said Debra Ann Mynar, an online psychology graduate from the Pennsylvania State University World Campus, the online arm of the brick-and-mortar school. "Online students actually need more support. They are not living on campus and have family commitments. Additionally, they tend to set very high expectations for themselves. Interaction is the greatest void in online learning."
Online clubs counteract potential feelings of isolation
Mynar co-founded her university's online psychology club with psychology professor Brian Redmond. It is the first online club at the Penn State and the first online psychology club in the country, Redmond said. "Any good on-campus psychology program has a club," he said. "It's a real advantage to students and really enhances the academic program."
In addition to enhancing the academic program, it provides much needed interaction to the online club members. "Learning is a social experience," Mynar said.
Redmond agrees. "Online students can get isolated and discouraged online," he said. "The biggest benefit - hands down - is the social interaction."
Clubs operate similarly, online and off
The online club was started in May 2009 and is still a work in progress, Mynar said. Just like an on-campus club, they have a written constitution and a board of elected officials. Mynar was the club's first president. Now that she has graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Psychology, the role will be taken over by another club member. She will stay on board, however, through the transition period, she said.The club is facilitated through the school's course management system. Members can login to read the constitution, review meeting minutes, chat with fellow club members and view recorded presentations, Redmond said. "Most of the communication is done through email and voice chat," he said. We also communicate a little through social media sites such as Second Life and Facebook."
Clubs cover topics that support coursework
Presentations are aimed at helping students get the most from their studies and help prepare them for life after graduation. In the past, presentations have been given on meeting with academic advisors, getting into graduate school, psychology sub-specialties and utilizing the university's career services department. Mynar said they have also hosted a senior panel to answer questions about the program. "We're trying to offer a broad experience," she said.
According to Redmond, students who are online during the live presentations can ask questions through the system's text chat feature that are then relayed to the guest speakers immediately for response.
Although online student clubs, such as the online psychology club at Penn State, are still relatively uncommon, other schools in the country do offer such clubs for their online students. At the University of Maryland at University College, online students have access to honor societies and academic clubs. Currently, there are 12 academic clubs offered by the university, coordinator of Student Engagement Shelley Hintz said. Clubs are offered in areas such as history, English, computing, paralegal and accounting and finance. "The clubs give students an opportunity to communicate outside of the classroom," Hintz said. "It facilitates faculty and student interaction."
Members gain access to information, opportunities that support academics
In the clubs, students find job postings, faculty mentors and transcripts of guest lecturers - all of which they can access at their convenience. "The nature of the online clubs means that [the clubs] are always there. Students can come and go as they please," Hintz said.
One of the most important qualities of successful online student clubs is the academic benefit - a statement supported by Hintz, Mynar and Redmond. "Adult learners are juggling a lot of activities and are less likely to get involved with extracurricular activities," Mynar said. "Clubs have to have value to the adult learner."
"Adult learners are focused on the academic value," Redmond said.
Redmond and Mynar collaborated on a research study that showed that most students participated in online clubs for social and academic reasons. "The two are so intertwined, it is remarkable," Redmond said.
A study at the University of Maryland at University College had similar findings. "Students feel more connected," Hintz said. "They can talk to other students within their major, learn more in their field and network."
Although the online psychology club is the first of its kind at Pennsylvania State University, the success of the club has paved the way for other online clubs at the university, Redmond said. "I'm really glad we had a chance to make this happen."
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