Forming a Virtual Learning Community to Enhance Experiential Learning

Abstract

Increasingly, tertiary education institutions are incorporating experiential-based learning to nurture the professional and personal development of their students. In 2018-19, 206 medical students from the University of Hong Kong and 41 education students from the Education University of Hong Kong collaborated and formed a virtual learning community that supported their out-of-classroom learning experience by linking these experiences with their professional goal of becoming doctors or teachers. In this study, we examined how the virtual learning community functioned and identified the factors that influenced the effectiveness of this community. Data were collected from the online posts and interactions of the online community, feedback from participants, as well as focus group interviews conducted with mentors and students from both universities. We found that the actual online participation and interactions were less structured than originally intended. Posts sharing aspects of the experiential learning experience were related to increased participation by members of the virtual learning community. Active team mentors or members were important to engage active participation and create a positive team dynamic for better learning collaboration. Content related to personal interests and the use of multimedia presentations appeared to generate the most meaningful and responsive interactions. A less structured online network may provide sufficient support to learners to enhance experiential learning, especially when students are geographically separated and engaged in diverse experiences.