On Emulating Classroom Discussion in a Distance-Delivered OBHR Course: Creating an On-Line Learning Community

Abstract

I discuss the difficulty and promise of offering an executive MBA OBHR course via an asynchronous, web-based course delivery medium. After a discussion of the rationale and trends in delivering this type of course, I present an example of how a quality classroom discussion was emulated using electronic bulletin board technology to create an on-line student-centered learning community. In this type of class, the discussion forum successfully captures and goes beyond the advantages of regular classroom discussion. In sharing one experience, this article serves as a useful source of information for other faculty who want to create a student-centered learning community in their distance classrooms. This article extends the burgeoning literature on effective distance learning by demonstrating not only how classroom discussion can be captured in the on-line venue, but also how a learning community can be created.