Creating harmony from Discord ™: Using innovative technology to create a sense of community in distance education
The proposed project is designed to explore an alternative method of engaging students in creating class communities in order to present the OU with a viable option alongside existing tools. The OU has been struggling to achieve consistent engagement amongst students through the current means of tutor group forums. While for some students the forum is a lifeline proving access to a distance learning community; for others, it is an antiquated system that does not feel naturalistic or encourage them to engage. The Discord chat platform is of increasing interest to wider Higher Education sector as it is where a growing number of university age students spend a lot of their leisure and study time outside of scheduled classes. In order to effectively work with students to create a sense of community and enhance the teaching and learning goals, it is suggested that the OU needs to be considering innovative methods of student engagement. The project will enable the researcher to better understand the nature of the platform and how it can fit in to the unique structure of the OU so the university can better consider its inclusion as external open educational tool.
Cite items from this project
Funding
Praxis
Project lead(s)
Mel Green
Authorship group
- Academic - Central
Project reference number
PRAXIS 2022/23 10 MG-AL
Project start date
Project end date
Project status
Completed
Institutional priority category
- Achieving Study Goals
- Employability and Career Progression
Themes
- Completion of a Qualification
- Curriculum Pathways
- Employability
- Progression
- Innovative Teaching Approaches
Subject discipline
- Education, Childhood, Youth, and Sport
Project findings and recommendations
Discord offers compelling functionalities that go beyond facilitating academic collaboration. It possesses the capability to enrich the educational experience holistically, catering to both the intellectual and emotional needs of learners. This is especially pivotal for distance learning institutions like the Open University, which face the unique challenge of building community among a geographically dispersed student population. By taking a step beyond the transactional aspects of educational tools and diving deeper into the transformative potentials of platforms like Discord, this study adds a nuanced layer to the discourse on online education. I want to thank PRAXIS for the positive personal and professional opportunity provided by conducting this research; I have found the experience both rewarding and enlightening. Through exploring Discord's role in facilitating community-building within the Open University, I have come to appreciate this platform's multifaceted benefits. It has been a rich academic endeavour that I have genuinely enjoyed, heightening my passion for urging the Open University to adopt more innovative technologies to support its student population better. Discord's capabilities cater to both the intellectual and emotional dimensions of the learning experience, which is particularly important for institutions like the Open University, which grapples with the unique challenge of building a cohesive academic community amidst a geographically dispersed student population. The adoption of Discord could revolutionise how students interact with content, educators, and one another, thereby creating a more vibrant and effective educational setting. As I reflect upon the research journey, it reiterates the urgent need for the Open University to evolve in its pedagogical approaches by embracing contemporary technologies that resonate with the students' lived experiences. My research experiences have only fortified my commitment to pushing the boundaries of what is conventionally understood as 'distance education.' Among other emerging technologies, Discord holds the key to unlocking more collaborative, engaging, and supportive learning environments, crucial for the Open University's continued success and relevance in the rapidly evolving educational landscape. Despite this being the conclusion of my study, it also marks the beginning of a passionate advocacy for institutional change aimed at better leveraging technology to foster an enriched academic experience for all members of the Open University community.
Keyword(s)
community ; virtual tools ; study goals ; employability
