Rethinking Online Education to Maximize Student Engagement

Breakout Room E

International students face many challenges associated with the differences in their linguistic and socio-cultural backgrounds, and those of the host culture. Scholars have used the concept of communities of practice to elaborate on possible ways to increase international students’ engagement in learning and community. Participation in institutionally planned activities, and exploring networking opportunities in the community help these students build learning communities. In online education, however, the opportunities for participation in communities of practice can be burdensome. Adjustments of the course design and classroom activities are needed to increase the students’ participation in communities of practice, which can facilitate the students’ sense of belonging and identity construction. A set of guidelines are provided at two levels to increase students’ involvement in online communities. First, the macro-level guidelines address course design considerations, and micro-level guidelines illustrate practical classroom activities.