Cyberpsychology in the Tech-Fed Virtual World

Book excerpt: For a wide variety of reasons, colleges and universities have increased their online course offerings. These programs, including both formal degree programs as well as non-credit and leisure learning options, rely on students to engage with their faculty members as well as other learners to maximize their class experiences. Virtual learning, however, can be a difficult space to create community and resulted in the need to explore how community and culture can be constructed in the virtual, tech-fed world. The model presented here consists of five key elements that program administrators, instructional designers, and teaching faculty must all take into consideration as they develop their courses.