1. Transforming
Communication
on Online Courses
using Slack
Peter Windle

2. Introduction

3. Context
HDip in Computer Science
• Fully online, award winning ICT Skills conversion course
• 67 students started this year
• 36 students graduating this year
• We use a custom VLE – it’s not a LMS
• We use a custom learning stack

4. The Problem
• Good communication is essential
• Announcements
• Discussion Forum
• Email
• Direct message in the
LMS/VLE
• Class live chat in Zoom
(disappears after class)
• Too many channels, too many
places for students to lose a
message
• Communicate in one place!

5. Solutions?
•Discussion forums – no rich
media, not real-time, no
notifications
•Whatsapp – personal, no
lecturers, sharing phone numbers
•Teams wasn’t really in that space
in 2018 + changing organisation

6. •Real-time, customisable, we
have control, GDPR compliant
•Provides a rich environment
for communication,
collaboration and community!
•Used in industry

7. 1.
Building Online
Communities
SECTION ONE

8. Osterman, 2000
A community exists when its members experience a
sense of belonging or personal relatedness...
the community has a shared and emotional sense of
connection
Communities

9. Rovai & Wighting (2005)
Community “provides a place in which individuals are
free to express their identities, and helps them deal
with changes and difficulties in society at large.
Students who feel lonely or isolated
invest more energy in seeking a sense of community
and support than in learning.”
Communities

10. Rosell, 2018
Without community, education is a lonely place.
Students can’t:
• work together on group projects,
• help each other through tricky material
• or share their interest and passion for certain subjects.
Learning communities play a significant role in ensuring that
students remain motivated to succeed.”
Communities

11. Importance of
Classroom Community
• Isolation leads to higher dropout rates
(Ali and T Smith, 2015)
• Community creates a better learning experience for
students
(Wenger, 1998)
• Strong need for Lecturer Presence
(Ladyshewsky, 2013)
• Importance of Social Presence
(Garrison, 2000)

12. Garrison, Anderson and Archer’s
Community of Inquiry
REF: Office of Teaching & Learning

13. 2.
Social Presence
SECTION TWO

14. Social Presence
This Photo by Unknown Author is licensed under CC BY-ND
Being perceived as “a real person” in mediated communication
Creating a sense of community and connection,
It is important especially at the beginning of the semester
when students are getting to know and trust both you and one another.
If students can make interpersonal connections with others,
they are more likely to engage with the course and the content.
Indicators of Social Presence include:
• Affective responses (emotion, humour)
• Interactive responses (adding to threads, asking Qs, agreeing
• Cohesive responses (using students names, small talk)

15. 3.
How it started
SECTION THREE
This Photo by Unknown Author is licensed under CC BY

16. Welcome To Slack

17. Photos Please

18. Introductions please

20. 4.
How it finished
SECTION FOUR

27. Not For Me Somewhat
Useful
Useful Very Useful Essential

29. http://pete.ie/edtech

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44. Thank You
http://pete.ie/edtech