The methods for creating connectivity and community at a distance remain an ongoing topic of discussion. How do distance learning institutions bridge psychological and physical gaps to create a sense of community among their learners and staff? To discover how this is done, some background may be helpful.

Early in the development of distance education, the notion of community was rarely, if ever, considered.  Most learners simply knew they would be working in isolation. At best, there would be the watchful eye of a parent or tutor to oversee their progress. However, little attention was paid to the need for socialization of either adult learners or children. The result was a popular notion that distance education created individuals incapable of functioning in social settings. This was a grave charge levied most notably against the K-12 home schooling movement.

As this notion permeated the distance education movement, individuals and institutions began a deliberate attempt to counteract the negative image this was creating. For some such as home school devotees, this reaction was out of genuine long-term concern for their children who would eventually have to function in the ever-shrinking, global, social world in which we live. For institutions of distance education, there was the very real concern that such a negative image could be bad for business in the growing market of distance education.    

Regardless of the motivation, those involved in distance education began to fervently explore methods of socializing learners. For some, this involved conscientious efforts to provide social contacts and experiences outside of the academic curriculum. Note the rise of home school organizations and the broad range of services and activities provided by these groups. Others, mostly institutions, began to look for socialization solutions that could be managed inwardly. This led to the broader notion of creating a community rather than simply providing socialization opportunities as institutions sought to keep their patrons connected to the institution rather than risk losing their business because the need for community was not being met by the institution.

The early methods of building a sense of community centered on re-creating the traditional school in a distance setting. Distance education leaders began to ask what traditional schools did that could and should be done in the distance environment. These concepts were then creatively adapted to the distance education setting. What emerged were modified versions of classic school elements: the electronic school newsletter, the discussion forum, the academically-focused chat room, the after-school online club, and even the online honor society. When attended to regularly, these elements were able to provide a limited sense of belonging for many learners and their families by providing interaction among individuals and attempting to connect people based on common interests.

While these elements managed to address in a very limited way the psychological distance and the related need for shared experiences, the physical distance was in no way addressed.  Physical distance will be the topic of Building a Distance Community - Part 3.