Although research has suggested that creating online learning community can be an effective strategy to improve student learning, there is a need for examining the process of online learning community development. The purpose of this study was to explore a user-centered approach to developing an online learning community for a university program called preparing future faculty. Under the umbrella of Design-Based Research, this study was guided by Reflective Recursive Design and Development (R2D2) instructional design model and conducted through three phases. In Phase 1, after analyzing the student manual and existing course web site, a prototype online learning community was developed. In Phase 2, participants were actively involved in the design process. Six semi-structured interviews were conducted to understand students\u27 social leaning context and their needs from PFF. By reflecting on their suggestions and opinions, solutions were discovered and applied in the online learning community development. In Phase 3, participants were invited to use the online learning community developed in Phase 2, and to provide suggestions for further development. The input from the students to the developer resulted in several specific features in the online learning community. To a great extent, the online learning community was about organizing content for students. Many participants suggested that this online learning community should be a central place for retrieving program related materials. According to these needs, archives were created for weekly announcements, speakers\u27 information, handouts, and forms. All the PFF assignments were listed chronologically with specified due dates and instructions. Another key component in this online learning community was online discussion structured to respond to learners\u27 needs for social conversation, information sharing, and providing course feedback. Results suggest the value of including the end users of an online learning community in the development process both in terms of specific suggestions for development and in terms of their ultimate ownership of the site
