Building community is one of the fundamental responsibilities of teaching. As you learned in Module 1, positive learning communities are those in which students feel confident to explore, take risks, and contribute to class activities.
Watch this video to see how an instructor creates a class Web site, supplemented by Blackboard, an online system used to support teaching and learning, to build community in a biotechnology class.
Video: Making Internet Connections (1:55)
Think About
How does this teacher use the Web to expose students to the idea of an online community, both in the classroom and in the larger scientific community? What other benefits to students come from this teacher's use of the Web?
Now take a moment to consider your own practice.
Notebook
How might you further integrate the Web into your curriculum? What resources exist on your campus to help you begin to move course materials online? How would you introduce students to important Web resources in your field?
