It is important to enhance opportunities for all students to be able to participate and effectively collaborate in learning communities in the online environment. A starting point for collaboration to occur is building trust. “Creating an atmosphere of safety and trust is critical to the development of a good working group online” (Palloff, Pratt, 2005, p.13). In order for assessment to occur and ensure that it is fair and equitable students have to have collaborative activities built into the assignment which are clear and engaging, ((Palloff, Pratt, 2005, p.13).

In designing collaborative activities the instructor has to take into account that students have access to technology, and also have working knowledge of required hardware and software. If students do not have access to technology outside regular classrooms accommodations must be made to ensure that all students have equitable access. A survey of skill for online students provides an opportunity to ensure that students also possess required skills to successfully collaborate and complete task. If students lack certain working knowledge of a program provide training, tutorial or review to allow student in obtaining working proficiency. The challenge is to ensure that students’ abilities to work collaborative are not hindered due to inability to have access to technology, and ability to have working knowledge of programs.

When designing assessment as mentioned by George Siemens in the podcast Assessment of Collaborative Activities, that clear objectives have to be understood by students. “One of the keys to good assessment of collaborative work online is that it be clear, easy to understand and easy to carry out” (Palloff, Pratt, 2005, p.50). Siemens states that changes in education assessment from assessing individual student achievement, to assessing collaborative work, along with student involvement, and personal achievement requires changes in assessment. According to Siemens (2008) , it is important to involve students in designing rubrics. By incorporating their ideas students not only get a better understanding of the assessment process, but also take ownership and responsibility not only to complete task but also be able be able to evaluate their progress and group progress better. Assessment component of individual and collaborative engagement, and completed work can be assessed partially by students and partially be educators. Assessment should provide feedback throughout the process along with constructive suggestions about how work can be enhanced. Assessment does not necessarily have to always contain specific grades. Assessment can contain comments indicating if expected outcomes have been achieved, which ones have not been successfully completed and also contain suggestions and ways of achieving those outcomes.

It is important to assess students by enhancing opportunities for students to learn in an optimal learning environment which is Learner centered. “The learner centered environment is widely accepted as the optimum educational paradigm” (Palloff, Pratt, 2005, p. 53). Students’ ability to critically evaluate their progress allows them not only to discover if expectations have been met, but also enhance their learning skills. Assessment at this point allows educators to discover if they have provided an enriched learning environment for all students to participate, and also provide them an opportunity to improve design of their courses.

Constraints faced by administration in terms of community building in an online environment would depend not only availability of technology but also administrative computer knowledge, exposure and also goals and objectives that the administrator has set or failed to set for themselves, staff and students. Constraints that administrators have will also depend on their responsibilities, in and outside of school environment. It is important that the education institution not only has a mission statement which encourages community building in an online environment but also that the mission statement developed by staff, administration, students is implemented providing means and methods to achieve successful community building environment. Administration might be restrained to provide an online community environment due to lack of funds for equipment and training. Administration might lack support of board, politicians and parents in setting up an online learning environment. Fears of safety might prevent administrators in pursuing online community environment.

Teacher constraints to setup community building environment in many cases is lack of experience, lack of knowledge in ways of structuring, communicating and evaluating student progress online. In many cases teachers lack the necessary skills to work effectively online. Some teachers fail to see benefits of online community and resist in implementing online learning. Some restraints such as time, expenses might limit teachers’ abilities for additional training in online learning. Teachers in the past have been taught to evaluate students work individually and they might have to learn new ways of doing things. Teachers might lack support from administration to adapt new ways of doing things, as a result they might be reluctant of community building in an online environment.

Major student constraints is that student might not have been exposed to communities online as a result they are not sure of why they should participate and also if they are not informed about the main objective of online community along with training to be able to use expected technologies will result in limited involvement, limited learning opportunities and lead to disappointment and frustration. Student restraints in becoming engaged in community of learners might result in inability to have access to needed technologies. If the educators fail to provide learning and participation possibilities for different style of learners or learners with different abilities, those student will tend to ‘shy’ away from online activities.
A school wide plan should be established with the input from administrators, faculty and students in outlying how to establish and maintain a sense of community between faculty and students. The plan should clearly spell out rules and regulations that address equity issues, safety issues, clear school objectives, lab facilities, training opportunities and also about rights and responsibilities of all parties. For any plan to succeed the parameters have to be realistic and just. The plan has to provide opportunity for staff and student to meet formally in group environment and also be able to be able to communicate individual to discuss issues. In order for a establishing a sense of community between students and staff a place for meeting online an environment has to be created. It is important for the administrators to know the interest, of staff and students to provide opportunities to establish an environment that enhances and allows communication to exist. “In order for collaborative activity to happen well, students need to have a place to meet and know the parameters of how they should connect (Palloff, Pratt, 2005, p.21). Effective collaboration between, students, administrators, and staff, will enhance opportunities for administrators to maintain a sense of community between faculty and staff.

Lack of student participation can be challenging to address. It is important to try and find out why the student is not participating. As an educator a starting point might be an informal chat with the student to see if there are any obstacles either physical, or technological that could be impeding his/her participation. A survey of technical skills could provide an indication about students’ abilities and provide opportunity to address individual needs. Expectations and individual responsibilities have be addressed with everyone. A strong and safe learning environment that provides an opportunity for all students to participate in in many cases minimizes resistance from student to participate.

A form should be established that allows individuals to participate in raising problems and also to suggest some possible solutions.
Each group should have clear expectations and also each group member should be aware of their rights and responsibilities.

In order to be able to inform, encourage and educate successful functioning of individual and group interaction student should be able to experience and example of successful and not successful group interaction. This could be done through role playing, case studies and also be illustrated by learning video illustrating the importance of group interaction and individual and group responsibilities. T encourage interaction assessment should be built into activates that encourage group members to be evaluated not only on individual performance but also based on collaboration.

References
Palloff, R., Pratt, K. Collaborating Online. Learning Together in a Community. Josse-Bass. San Francisco, CA.
Laureate Education, Inc. (Producer), (2008). Principles of distance education: Assessment of collaborative learning, George Siemens [DVD]. U.S. Walden University
Laureate Education, Inc. (Producer), (2008). Principles of distance education: Learning communities, George Siemens {DVD]. U.S. Walden University