DE Oracle @ UMUC

PHAT999 - An Online Student Community

Linda Ruggles

Collegiate Faculty and History Course Chair

School of Undergraduate Studies

Published: March-April 2007

Category: » Online-pedagogy » Facilitating-student-communities

When I received my first graduate degree, part of the ritual included a welcome to the "community of scholars." That phrase struck me then and has remained with me since as the greatest award and recognition of my work by others. To know there are others with whom you can discuss, disagree, and come to consensus with, encourages exploration of ideas in many senses – or as Goethe put it: "To know someone here or there with whom you can feel there is understanding, in spite of distances or thoughts expressed, can make of this earth a garden." (as quoted in Palloff and Pratt, p. 21).

Communities are, by definition, places where we meet with others who have common interests. While "place" is often referred to a physical location, it is just as often referred to as a "location of the mind". In academic circles, communities of students and scholars have long been an integral part of the education process. They have served as compliments to the classroom where ideas were tried out, taken to wherever the research, and discussions led. This was clearly evident inside the walls of many European universities during the 14th – 16th centuries. Although, the tradition harks at least as far back as Socrates in ancient Athens. Certainly Socrates paid a steep price for his insistence upon following the evidence where it led, but he stood for the idea of academic freedom. (For additional information on academic freedom, see Hofstadter).

Academics have recognized the possibilities offered by virtual communities and a number of listservs were created during the 1990s for the exchange of ideas, information, and debate. Of particular note was the creation of H-Net: Humanities and Social Sciences Online, where scholars and teachers from around the world meet in various discussion groups. As an instructor with UMUC's Asian Division, I found this network to be my lifeline to others who taught, researched, and wrote about the same historical periods as I did – a virtual location based on ideas and shared interests.

At UMUC students can earn a BA or BS, entirely online, in a number of disciplines. Our students come to UMUC from every continent, except for Antarctica, as well as onboard ships to earn their degrees. Well before UMUC arrived at this point, the discipline chair of the history department, Bud Burkhard, decided the history department needed to create a space where the students could meet virtually. His belief was that if the students were to attended a traditional school they would have access to any number of clubs and programs. He wanted to encourage this in the online meduim as well. Dr. Burkhard arranged for space on one of UMUC's online servers in order to develop a virtual meeting space that was to later to become known as PHAT999 (derived from PAT with an H added – UMUC's online history club that also encompasses our chapter of PAT (Alpha Epsilon Chi).

Currently, PHAT 999 is open to all students who declare a major or minor in History. The purpose is to provide our students with the opportunity to interact with each other on a variety of levels including personal, academic, and professional. Guest speakers are invited to discuss topics such as teacher certification, career opportunities, and graduate study possibilities. This year's guest speakers are alumni attending graduate school who discuss the application process and survival skills. In the spring we will hold an online conference with faculty members who practice history in other venues outside traditional academicia.

In the PHAT999 classroom there are "special topics" conferences that are designed to help our students consider possibilities for life beyond their studies at UMUC as well as study groups for discussions on a wide range of topics from what to do with a degree in history, to what graduate school to attend, as well as teacher certification requirements in various states. Recently, a conference was organized for a PAT group who collaborated online and then attended the conference in Philadelphia where they presented their work. When a student graduates, they are invited to remain a part of PHAT999. A number of them have remained involved by supporting our current students.

A community is only formed when those for whom it is intended participate and bring it to life. Below are a few comments from participants of PHAT999 discussing how the 'online community' has impacted them.

"Communities provide moral support and a sort of safety net for students during their careers. Even when a student "hovers" in PHAT but never posts, the fact that the community is available gives a psychological boost. At the beginning of my career, online communities provided book discussions that lead to references for papers, and people that provide actual help (proofreading) with papers, especially with annoying endnotes (which I now love). And now I have a vast network to bounce professional ideas off of. "

"I think that community becomes even MORE important when you are taking online classes and do not always have an immediate support group…PHAT999 has been a God send in providing a community where I can discuss various subjects within history, like the Ancient History study group. It's also very important to me to have the areas which discuss what to do with a history degree and the class announcements which keep us all up to date with the department happenings. The biggest drawback to all this is that many of my contacts live around the world and the odds are not good that I will ever meet them."

"To the extent that community provides access to advice, options, opportunities, and information, it contributes to success. In my wanderings through the various PHAT conferences and discussion groups I find strong evidence for the fact that for some individuals, the PHAT 'community' that has emerged is critical to their success."

"PHAT999 has certainly become a part of my experience at UMUC, and a very positive one. It provided a vehicle for gaining information on events, opportunities, and upcoming classes that have certainly enriched my sojourn toward a second degree and made things a lot more fun than they might otherwise have been… In a very important way, PHAT999 has contributed to my academic life and success by cushioning me when I needed that cushioning and contact with others. It has provided a channel or place where I can locate information that is helpful in leading me to a solution but not necessarily the solution itself."

Resources

Allen, I. Elaine and Jeff Seaman. Growing by Degrees: Online Education in the United States, 2005. Needham, MA: Sloan-C, 2005. Retrieved 2 December 2005 from URL http://www.sloan-c.org/

Hofstadter, Richard. Academic Freedom in the Age of the College. With a new introduction by Roger L. Geiger. New York: Columbia University Press, 1955; New Brunswick, NJ: Transaction Publishers, 1996.

Palloff, Rena M. and Keith Pratt. Building Learning Communities in Cyberspace: Effective Strategies for the Online Classroom. Higher and Adult Education Series. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass Publishers, 1999.