Building an Online International Community

Nan Lowe & Mary O'Donohue

This workshop will demonstrate the use of Skype and discussion forums by online faculty at Algonquin to connect mentees in India and the Philippines with mentors in Calgary, Vancouver and Toronto. Ways to use these technologies to build a sense of online community and reinforce the soft skills required for mentorship in an online course will be demonstrated. Presenters will identify issues related to working at a distance with culturally distinct student populations. Participants will have the opportunity to discuss challenges of delivering "soft-skills courses" in an online mode. Strategies for increasing participation will be explored.

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