Motivation, engagement, goal attainment and effective interaction are essential components for college students to be successful in the online educational environment. The popularity and influx of electronic media applications has allowed educators the opportunity to incorporate social media (Facebook, Twitter), and volitional messages (Simple…

Discusses several online and offline community-building strategies that may be used to foster a positive social dynamic in online courses. Introduces a "communal scaffolding" model which lets instructors conceptualize how affective and cognitive learning are intertwined in online learning. A "communal architect" is someone who erects a communal…

The manuscript explains the rationale, development, and success of a computer-mediated asynchronous learning (CMAL) program of graduate studies in Educational Leadership and Higher Education offered through the University of Nebraska-Lincoln . It details the evolution of the concept focusing on an integrated sequence of high-quality learning to:…