Building Community to support Online Learning
All learning is social.
In the world of online education, technology often takes center stage. When we launched Kibo in 2021, we knew that technology could provide high-quality computing education to young Africans online, by connecting them to world-class curriculum, experiences, and people. We also knew that technology would not be the sticking point. The real challenge is ensuring that students stay engaged and motivated to learn.
Our solution? Community.
Only 5-15% of students complete fully asynchronous courses. Research shows that a stronger sense of community is positively correlated with cognition and persistence in online courses. For Kibo, community wasn’t an afterthought - it was central to the learning experience.
Designing a Connected Learning Community
In the video below, Student Success Manager Oyin Adediji, CEO Ope Bukola and Program Manager Emeka Okonkwo discuss our experience creating a strong learning community.
As discussed, our community efforts revolved around four core goals:
Creating support and collaboration through small, tight-knit groups. We divided students into small groups and held activities like the Squad Cup, an intramural competition that encouraged students to share and apply their knowledge
Fostering collective identity and belonging via community-wide rituals and events. Events like Community Fridays created a shared sense of identity. Regular meetups in five cities across Ghana, Kenya, and Nigeria further strengthened these bonds.
Encouraging collective accountability through student-led initiatives. Whether by initiating cubs or organizing events, students took ownership of their community. This allowed us to step back while nurturing their leadership skills.
Inspiring motivation through mentorship. Our mentorship program connected students with tech professionals, helping them grow their networks and gain valuable insights for their future careers.
Challenges, Successes, and Lessons Learned
Building a thriving community came with its challenges. We had to balance student agency with staff workload, navigate the transition from staff-led to student-led events, and ensure community activities supported rather than hindered academic progress.
Despite these hurdles, we saw remarkable successes. Our students developed deep connections, many reported feeling more connected to classmates at Kibo than those at physical institutions. Growing in community also helped them grow as individuals, and to develop critical collaboration and conflict resolution skills.
From our experience, we distilled key lessons for other online learning institutions:
Create anchor events: regular events, like our quarterly meetups and Community Fridays, provided continuity and structure.
Allow organic growth: don’t try to control every aspect of the community. Allow students to shape its direction.
Focus on quality over quantity: fewer, impactful events often yielded better results. We were beginning to reduce weekly gatherings to bi-weekly to avoid overwhelming students and staff.
Be patient: give initiatives time to show results.
Prioritize academics: community activities should support academic goals. At times, we found that too many activities could overwhelm students and distract from their coursework.
The Lasting Impact
We've learned that building an online learning community is an ongoing process of experimentation and adaptation. Even as Kibo winds down its operations, the impact of our strong community lives on through our active alumni network. By focusing on fostering a sense of belonging and strong relationships, we created something truly special—a legacy that extends beyond our institutional lifespan.
To dive deeper into our community-building journey, watch the full reflection video: Building Student Community at Kibo
Note: This post is part of a series exploring lessons learned from Kibo School. Click here to read the series overview and access related posts.