How a Learning Community Enhances Individual Learning in a Graduate Distance Education Program

Abstract

Little empirical research is currently available on Jewish distance learning, a nascent but growing field of practice. By way of qualitative case study methodology, this research explored the learning experience of a group of adult learners participating in a Jewish education Master's degree program that is offered by way of videoconferencing technology. A key finding was that the learning community constituted an informal learning context, fostering openness to new perspectives, appreciation of collaborative learning, and critically reflective thinking. The study sheds light on the unique cultural vestiges that enhance Jewish learners' shared spirit or desire for community, and their motivation and ability to create it in a distance learning program, as well as on what facilitates and/or hinders learning. The principle recommendation was that to enhance learning, educators in videoconferencing programs should work toward making the learning community a visible entity, and should facilitate collaborative learning opportunities for students both within and across sites.