College Students’ Belonging and Loneliness in the Context of Remote Online Classes during the COVID-19 Pandemic (Hansen-Brown et al., 2022)

The study examined college students’ sense of belonging and loneliness in the context of remote online classes during the COVID-19 pandemic. The researchers found that students’ belonging, and loneliness were linked to their class format, aspects of their virtual classes, social contact, and experiences in the pandemic. Working more hours and increased family obligations did not strongly impact belonging or loneliness, though spending less time with friends and family was linked to greater loneliness. First-generation and first-semester students did not differ in belonging or loneliness, though transfer students showed mixed results across semesters. Students’ negative experiences with the pandemic, particularly its impact on their psychological health, were associated with lower belonging and greater loneliness. The findings highlight the importance of understanding students’ experiences during the pandemic and continuing to study them as the situation evolves, in order to support students’ sense of belonging and mitigate loneliness in remote online learning contexts.

Hansen-Brown, A. A., Sullivan, S., Jacobson, B., Holt, B., & Donovan, S. (2022). College students’ belonging and loneliness in the context of remote online classes during the COVID-19 pandemic. Online Learning, 26(4), 323–346. https://olj.onlinelearningconsortium.org/index.php/olj/article/view/3123