Communication Commons^™

An Online Learning Approach To Community Building Among Asian Journalists, Ma. Mercedes T. Rodrigo, Violet B. Valdez

Department of Information Systems & Computer Science Faculty Publications

This chapter describes a master's program in journalism designed for professional Asian journalists which has drawn students from 13 Asian countries and is run by faculty members from five countries. The program uses blended learning methods combining synchronous, asynchronous, and classroom-based approaches. An exploratory study was conducted to describe the strategies used by the students and teachers to build a community of learners (Garrison, Anderson, & Archer, 2000) and hence achieve the program's learning goals. The study took into consideration cultural differences, in particular, those referring to educational experiences. Results show that the respondents tended to use the strategies of …