Implementation of an online intellectual community in a graduate educational setting

Abstract

Today, a significant portion of the student body lives far away from campus and are forced to take long commutes to and from campus. Such students are usually only able to come to campus once a week, and their fleeting presence on campus makes them detached from the intellectual community on campus. This study posits that information technology and "Web 2.0 technology" such as blogs and wikis can be used to expand the "Claremont Conversation" by mitigating the restrictions placed on communication by the need for same-time, same-place environments. As a part of an initiative envisioned by CGU President, Robert Klitgaard, titled "Imagine CGU" for the purpose of "Imagining the future of CGU and the Claremont Conversation", the phrase "Claremont Conversation" refers to conversations outside class among students and professors that help build an intellectual community that is the hallmark of a liberal education. This study describes the design and implementation of an initial project that targeted only the School of Information Systems and Technology (SISAT) at CGU. The artifact developed was an online community for the purpose of improving the sense-of-community amongst students, faculty, and alumni of the SISAT Department. This study then proposes future steps in how to improve the intellectual community at CGU by expanding the online intellectual community established for SISAT to the entire campus.