05/01/2025

Fostering a Sense of Community in Online Career Counseling Courses

By Lisa Cardello

As the number of CACREP-accredited online and hybrid counseling programs continues to increase, instructors are faced with both exciting possibilities as well as distinct challenges associated with online teaching (Nasir et al., 2020). Online learning offers flexibility and accessibility for students who may be balancing multiple responsibilities, such as full-time work, family commitments, or career transitions. However, maintaining engagement and collaboration in online courses requires intentional strategies to foster interaction among students. These challenges may be particularly pronounced in career counseling courses, as students often perceive this course as less relevant to clinical mental health counseling and may struggle to recognize its practical application in their future work (Lara et al., 2011).

Building a sense of community in online career counseling courses is essential for fostering a collaborative learning environment. Strong connections with instructors and peers have been linked to improved learning outcomes and student success (Mays & Ross, 2022). Students who feel connected to their peers and instructors are more likely to engage in their online coursework, can more effectively engage in higher-order thinking, and have increased levels of motivation and academic success (Flaherty, 2022; Hu & Talib, 2023). Further, building meaningful relationships in the virtual classroom can help reduce feelings of isolation and create a supportive learning environment that mirrors the interpersonal nature of career counseling practice (Caprara & Caprara, 2022; Mays & Ross, 2022). This sense of connection is particularly important for non-traditional learners, who comprise a significant portion of online students, as they have unique learning needs and considerable demands on their time (Zamecnik et al., 2022).

It is important that graduate career counseling courses provide meaningful opportunities to engage with course content, as well as with peers and the instructor. This article presents practical strategies to promote a sense of community in online career counseling courses, thus fostering a dynamic and supportive learning environment.

Building a Strong Online Learning Community

The following strategies can help create a supportive and interactive learning environment in which students feel connected in online career counseling courses.

• Setting the Stage for Meaningful Collaboration: Motivating students to be effective collaborators requires intentional instructional strategies, including early emphasis on teamwork, clear expectations with examples, active instructor participation, and peer evaluations to ensure accountability (Dietrich, 2021). In a previous Career Convergence article, Dietrich (2021) offered practical strategies for building a collaborative environment with a focus on designing online career counseling assignments to enhance student engagement opportunities.
• Virtual Introductions and Icebreakers: To foster a sense of connection, instructors can promote community-building by posting an introduction video themselves, which sets a welcoming and interactive tone for the online learning environment (UMass, 2024). Students can then be required to post their own introductions, respond to classmates' introductions, and engage in discussion. Using free platforms such as Padlet or Flipgrid, students can create video introductions in a dynamic and engaging format.
• Engaging Discussion Forums: A common strategy for fostering engagement in online courses is the use of virtual discussion posts. Discussion posts encourage collaboration, critical thinking and application of concepts, particularly when they contain case studies or ethical dilemmas. However, Mays and Ross (2022) cautioned against overuse of online discussion boards as overreliance on these forums has been shown to negatively impact sense of community in online courses. As an alternative approach to promoting online discussions, interactive tools such as Perusall facilitate collaborative reading experiences by enabling students to annotate texts, share insights, and engage in discussions. Notably, instructor involvement plays an important role in fostering meaningful participation, as students are more engaged when instructors actively guide and contribute to discussions (Martin et al., 2018).
• Interactive Activities: Interactive group activities not only engage students with course content but also help build a sense of community by fostering collaboration and shared problem-solving. For example, a virtual escape room activity designed around career counseling concepts can encourage students to work together, apply their knowledge in a fun and immersive way, and strengthen their connections with peers in an online learning environment. Dr. Poppy Moon offered an excellent video tutorial on creating virtual escape rooms (Moon, 2024).  
• Collaborative Brainstorming: Students can brainstorm ideas, collaborate on projects, and create visual timelines using platforms such as Padlet, Miro, or Zoom whiteboard. These tools are particularly useful for facilitating group work and allowing students to share ideas, organize thoughts, and build on each other's contributions in real-time.
• Community-Building Spaces – Establishing community-building spaces, such as informal discussion boards, social media groups, or virtual coffee chats provides students with opportunities to connect beyond academic discussions and foster a sense of belonging. Creating an open ungraded discussion board entitled "Questions for Professor ___" allows students to engage directly with the instructor, ask course-related questions, seek guidance in a more relaxed setting, and learn from peers’ inquiries. Overstreet (2020) described the use of GroupMe, a free mobile group messaging app, to engage students in  “a cafe-like space where students can chat freely about course-related topics” (p. 46). Such online spaces not only enhance student interaction but also encourage engagement by making the online learning environment feel more personal and accessible.

Intentionality, Engagement and Dynamic Experiences

Engaging graduate students in online career counseling courses requires intentional strategies that foster community, interactivity, and practical application, especially as students may initially struggle to see the relevance of career counseling concepts to their future clinical work. This article focused on strategies to foster a sense of community in online career counseling courses; a forthcoming follow-up article will explore strategies and technological tools to enhance active engagement and dynamic learning experiences in the online classroom setting.

What are your favorite tools for fostering engagement in online career counseling classes? Share your ideas and best practices in the comments section below.

References

Caprara, L. & Caprara, C. (2022). Effects of virtual learning environments: A scoping review of literature. Education and Information Technologies, 27, 3683–3722. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10639-021-10768-w

Flaherty, H. B. (2022). Using collaborative group learning principles to foster community in online courses. Journal of Teaching in Social Work, 42(1), 31 – 44. https://doi.org/10.1080/08841233.2021.2013390

Hu, Y., & Talib, M. A. (2023). Student engagement and its association with peer relation and teacher-student relation: A systematic review. Educational Administration: Theory and Practice, 29, 35-49. https://doi.org/10.52152/kuey.v29i4.763 

Lara, T. M., Kline, W. B., & Paulson, D. (2011) Attitudes regarding career counseling: Perceptions and experiences of counselors-in-training. Career Development Quarterly, 59(5), 428-440.

Martin, F., & Bollinger, D. U. (2018). Engagement matters: Student perceptions on the importance of engagement strategies in the online learning environment. Online Learning, 22(1), 205-222.  https://doi.org/10.24059/olj.v22i1.1092

Mays, T., & Ross, S. (2022). Sense of community in synchronous and asynchronous online courses: Perceptions and experiences of nontraditional students. Online Journal of  Distance Learning Education, 25(1).

Moon, P. (2024, February 26). Escape room: Can you find your way out? [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VSdN3I5C1UA

Nasir, M. A. M., Janikowski, T., Guyker, T., & Meier, S. (2020). Development and validation of a survey of online counseling instructors engagement. Journal of Educators Online, 17(2).

Overstreet, M. (2020). Strategies for building community among learners in online courses. College Teaching, 68(1), 45 – 48. https://doi.org/10.1080/87567555.2019.1707756

University of Massachusetts (UMass). (2024). Building an online community of learning. https://www.umass.edu/education/book/building-online-community-learning

Zamecnik, A., Kovanovic, V., Joksimovic, S., & Liu, L. (2022). Exploring non-traditional learner motivations and characteristics in online learning: A learner profile study. Computers and Education: Artificial Intelligence, 3, 100051. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.caeai.2022.100051

Lisa Cardello, PhD, LPC, NCC is a Visiting Associate Professor in the Department of Online Counselor Education at The College of New Jersey. She is a Licensed Professional Counselor (NJ), National Certified Counselor, Board Certified Coach, and MBTI Certified Professional. Dr. Cardello is also a past participant of NCDA's Counselor Educator Academy, North Atlantic Region Association for Counselor Education and Supervision (NARACES) Emerging Leaders Program participant, and past president of the New Jersey Career Development Association. She completed her Ph.D. in Counseling and Supervision at Kean University, Educational Specialist Degree in Counseling Services at Rider University, Masters Degree in Counselor Education at The College of New Jersey and Bachelor’s Degree in Education at The College of New Jersey. She can be reached at lisamcardello@gmail.com