by Marguerite McNeal

Most online courses are a solitary experience for learners. Students lack the ability to strike up an impromptu conversation about last week’s homework or compare notes with whoever’s sitting next to them in class. The absence of social interaction could be one reason behind high dropout rates in online classes.

Instead their interactions are relegated to stale chat forums, where questions go unanswered or where few students regularly visit. Sure, there are sophisticated online lectures where learners can see one another on screen and break out into small groups to chat via video.