To bring your district together online, Jen Golbeck suggests creating a safe space, setting guidelines and rules, gaining participation, and making it accessible and equitable.
UMD iSchool associate professor Jen Golbeck was interviewed by SchoolCEO for the magazine’s article, “Crash Course Q&As: Dr. Jen Golbeck” where she provides tips for quickly bringing an entire school district online.
To create a successful online community, Dr. Golbeck emphasizes the importance of controlling trolling, as just one aggressive person has the power to destroy an online community. This requires school administration to set strict guidelines and rules about appropriate online etiquette.
To set up these guidelines, Dr. Golbeck recommends describing the intended tone for the online community and explaining the behaviors that will not be tolerated.
To make an online community equitable and accessible for diverse districts, Dr. Golbeck suggests making it mobile-friendly. Since some people without access to a computer or internet at home use smartphones for access, ensuring people can access information easily on their smartphones will help reach more members of the community.
Dr. Golbeck shares that to create an engaging online environment, “Make a poll, allow for discussions, engage with people. Then follow up on it. If someone has a great idea and you’re able to implement it, do it. When you do that work, people know there’s impact from them engaging.”