Creating Inclusive Online Communities

Dr. Sharla Berry is an Assistant Professor of education leadership and an expert in the field of digital equity and online learning. Her research has been featured in many academic journals including Online Learning and the International Review of Research in Open and Distributed Learning, and at academic conferences including the American Educational Research Association (AERA) and the Association for the Study of Higher Education (ASHE). Dr. Berry is committed to using her research to support practitioners in teaching and leading with technology. Various groups have invited her to do keynote speeches and workshops, including the Los Angeles Unified School District’s Instructional Technology Initiative, the Association of California School Administrators (ACSA), and the International Society of Technology Educators (ISTE). With each unique speech or workshop, Dr. Berry helps practitioners imagine a digitally equitable future, one that helps students of diverse racial, ethnic and socioeconomic backgrounds achieve their highest aspirations. Dr. Katie Linder is currently the executive director for program development at Kansas State University Global Campus. Previously, she directed the award-winning Ecampus Research Unit at Oregon State University. Katie is also a Certified Coach through the International Coach Federation. Katie is an avid writer and researcher with a passion for process and peeking behind the scenes at what it takes to be a successful academic. For the past several years, her work has focused on blended course design best practices, institutional supports for accessible online learning, and research literacy for scholarship of teaching and learning practitioners and distance education stakeholders. She speaks on topics related to writing and publication; creativity and productivity; self-promotion and personal branding; and teaching and learning with technology.Her latest works include Going Alt-Ac: A Guide to Alternative Academic Careers (

Foreword—Kathryn E. Linder Preface Acknowledgments 1. Defining Community - The Foundation of an Inclusive and Engaging Course or Program 2. What Makes a Strong Online Instructor? - Creating Inclusive Communities 3. The Role of Technology in the Online Classroom 4. Asynchronous Teaching Practices that Support Online Community 5. Synchronous Teaching Practices that Support Online Community Conclusion Appendix A. Cultivating Community During a Pandemic. Online Teaching, Emergency Remote Instruction and Pandemic Pedagogy References About the Author Index