The Impact of Time on Sense of Community in an Asynchronous Learning Network

Research has established the importance of creating a sense of community in an online learning environment. How to promote community is less well understood. To better understand how to create learning communities, it is important to provide context by isolating variables such as the impact of the passage of time on feelings of community. This study provides that context by addressing the question, "What is the 'natural' progression of sense of community as a semester progresses in an ALN-based course?" To answer this question, three data sources -- student responses on the Classroom Community Scale completed on a monthly basis during the term, number of postings per week, and social presence indicated in the postings -- were analyzed. Since the analysis did not indicate a change in the sense of community over the course of the semester, at least one potential confounding variable in assessing how to promote community has been isolated.