JULY 2018CIOAPPLICATIONS.COM8In My ViewFostering Virtual Collaboration for Higher Education Institutions in Today's Digital Learning EnvironmentDENNIS BONILLA, EXECUTIVE DEAN, COLLEGE OF INFORMATION SYSTEMS AND TECHNOLOGY, SCHOOL OF BUSINESS AND COLLEGE OF CRIMINAL JUSTICE AT UNIVERSITY OF PHOENIXigher education institutions often view collaboration as the joint effort between various departments to realize or achieve a unified goal. Typically, this goal is increased retention or graduation rates. However, the ubiquity of online education has forced academic leaders to consider fostering collaboration amongst often overlooked stakeholders--students and faculty members.Online education has increased in popularity in recent years, creating the largest population of distance learners in history. According to the Babson Survey Research Group's "Grade Increase" report, more than 6.3 million students in the U.S. took at least one online course in fall 2016. This growing cohort of online learners is exceptionally diverse with unique needs and challenges from their traditional classroom counterparts. For example, within the online platform, students have the flexibility to study on their schedule, meaning no one is on the same exact schedule, as a result. Online learning often also is a solitary journey, and many students may require internal motivation since the motivation generated by faculty and peers in physical classrooms can be lacking. In turn, this means that students may lack the same comradery and encouragement from limited face-to-face social interaction like they would find when meeting with their peers in person. Academic leaders understand that collaboration between stakeholders and departments is vital for creating effective higher education institutions, increasing knowledge sharing, connecting people to identify needs that improve operational efficiency, streamline processes and remove duplication. But collaboration looks much different with distance learners, with whom duplication and miscommunication can become a significant issue. Poor collaboration can lead to student dissatisfaction or decreased retention or success.For online education providers to be successful, leaders and decision-makers must focus on developing processes that bring the successful aspects of the traditional classroom--interpersonal communication, knowledge sharing and instant satisfaction--to the digital classroom. I believe institutions can develop these processes by creating a "water cooler"-type meeting hub that encourages collaboration in a more social setting. We are conditioned to view the digital classroom similar to the physical space, a place for studying and learning, rather than social interaction. But collaboration can be fostered by developing a social location where students are encouraged to interact with their peers and share ideas, best practices and knowledge. To determine how to foster effective collaboration within the digital learning environment and create this interactive digital hub, we can incorporate a simple algorithm: Problem + Solution = Results. · Problem: Students may feel they are embarking on their academic journey alone or may have trouble communicating or engaging in the online classroom institutions do not establish convenient social settings. · Solution: Create a streamlined, convenient way for HDennis Bonilla
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