The SACCP also builds in frequent communication
with students to prevent feelings of isolation and disconnection.
Communication occurs between faculty and
students via the phone, email, and Blackboard announcements.
A pre-course video is emailed to students;
it familiarizes them with Blackboard, course expectations,
online support, and campus links. Many online
courses also use the homepage/blogs and discussion
board features to build a learning community between
students (Garrison&Vaughan, 2008). The latter feature,
discussion board, is used in the SACCP to: synthesize
course content; react to course material much like onsite
students who raise their hands; increase communication
between students; deepen understanding of the material
when students build on each other’s discussion board
postings; and increase communication between the students
and the instructor.