Category: online learning
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Building Belonging in Online Classrooms: Relationships at the Core (Dulfer, Gowing, & Mitchell, 2024)
This study examines the experiences of twenty postgraduate students in online learning settings, their feelings of isolation or inclusion, and the elements of their particular classes that helped them engage. The paper asserts a need, post-pandemic, to explore online learning on its own terms. Learner-instructor interaction, learner-learner interaction, and learner-content interaction were all found to…
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Student Teachers’ Sense of Belonging in Collaborative Online Learning (Seifert & Bar-Tal, 2023)
This Israeli study investigated the contributions of student teachers’ self-perceived readiness for online learning to their own sense of belonging, with particular focus on previous experiences with online collaborative or participatory learning spaces. The findings showed that student teachers who had previously had good experiences in a collaborative online course and had strong technological literacies…
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Trust, Belongingness, and Teacher’s Self-efficacy: A Quantitative Investigation of an Online Intervention Program for Schoolteachers (Lupas et al., 2023)
The quantitative study found that an online training program focused on trust and belongingness for teachers had significant positive effects across several psychological variables that were used to measure participating teachers’ individual well-being. The variables included belongingness, connectedness, and teacher’s self-efficacy. The results indicated that fostering trust and a sense of belonging in school communities…
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The Benefits of Belonging: Students’ Perceptions of Their Online Learning Experiences (DiGiacomo et al., 2023)
This US-based study of the social organization of online learning environments during the COVID-19 pandemic indicates that students’ sense of belonging and inclusion varied by race, gender, and whether instructional modality was synchronous or asynchronous. Opportunities for discussion, interaction with peers, and feeling that one’s racial or ethnic group was represented in the curriculum were…
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Belonging in Distance Learning: Perspectives of Adult Learners in Malaysia (Bok, 2023)
This article focuses on Malaysian adult learners’ sense of belonging when studying remotely. Findings indicate that these adult distance learners experienced a sense of belonging through an annual campus meeting, the e-Learning platform, and peer support. However, overall, it notes that they also felt a sense of isolation among their peers in these distance-learning programs.…
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I Probably Have a Closer Relationship with my Internet Provider: Experiences of Belonging (or Not) among Mature-aged Regional and Remote University Students (Crawford et al., 2022)
Mature-aged students in regional and remote Australia often feel invisible, misunderstood, and undervalued within the university landscape. However, some students report feeling visible and known. Factors associated with inclusion and belonging include study mode, socio-economic status, mental health conditions, and available supports. Qualitative analysis reveals that connections with university staff, familiarity with systems and places,…
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Bridging the Transition to a New Expertise in the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning through a Faculty Learning Community (Bailey et al., 2022)
Teaching-only faculty are facing challenges in delivering evidence-based teaching through engaging with the scholarship of teaching and learning (SoTL). This transition is often poorly supported and undertaken in isolation. To address this, a faculty learning community (FLC) was formed to provide a space for sharing challenges and practical support for engaging in SoTL. The FLC…
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Optimization Design of the Online Learning Environment for Ethnic College Students: The Perspective of the Emotional Participation (Gao et al., 2021)
This China-based study concludes that ethnic college students’ online learning emotional participation differs significantly from that of Han students, particularly in their sense of belonging. The study outlines a theoretical model of online learning emotional participation with four dimensions: learning interest, self-efficacy, self-worth, and sense of belonging. Analysis of survey data revealed structural and quantitative…
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Sense of Belonging and Grit in e-learning Portal Usage in Higher Education (Devisakti & Ramayah, 2021)
The focus of this paper is on sense of belonging’s relationship to the conceptualization of ‘grit’ in the e-learning portal environment. The study found that a sense of belonging positively impacts usage, which in turn positively impacts performance. However, grit – as framed by the study – was found not to moderate the relationship between…
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Motivation and Sense of Belonging in the Large Enrollment Introductory General and Organic Chemistry Remote Courses (Cox et al., 2021)
The study found that the shift to remote learning during the COVID-19 pandemic had a differential impact on students based on their demographics. Sophomore students reported the greatest decrease in motivation and satisfaction with their performance. Female students experienced lower motivation and a diminished sense of belonging in the course and STEM fields. Black/African students…
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Supporting Entrepreneurship Students’ Sense of Belonging in Online Virtual Spaces (Brodie & Osowska, 2021)
This paper builds on the premise that fostering a sense of belonging is crucial for online learners, as it enhances their enjoyment, reduces anxiety, and decreases attrition rates. However, it notes that existing guidance on supporting student communities tends to focus on traditional, full-time, and younger students, often neglecting or invisibilizing older, globally dispersed, time-constrained…
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Promoting Sense of Belonging in Online Learning Communities of Inquiry in Accredited Courses (Peacock & Cowan, 2019)
A sense of belonging (SoB) is crucial for student success in campus-based and online learning, as it is linked to improved academic performance, higher learner satisfaction, and reduced attrition rates. This study explores how online tutors can nurture learners’ SoB, using an adapted version of the Community of Inquiry framework (CoIF) that focuses on three…
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Found my Place: The Importance of Faculty Relationships for Seniors’ Sense of Belonging (Miller et al., 2019)
The study examines the relationship between senior students’ faculty-related engagement and their sense of institutional acceptance, a key aspect of belonging. The findings indicate that increased student–faculty interaction, use of effective teaching practices, and participation in research with faculty positively impact seniors’ feelings of institutional acceptance. Additionally, student demographics, college experiences, and institutional characteristics also…
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Story Sharing in a Digital Space to Counter Othering and Foster Belonging and Curiosity among College Students (Baleria, 2019)
The study explored how a relational micro-intervention focused on civil, respectful conversation across difference in a digital space might influence digital media literacy, sense of belonging, and level of curiosity among college students. Using a phenomenological approach, the researcher found that the semi-structured micro-intervention enabled students to recognize the value of story sharing in navigating…
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Learning Attributes, Academic Self-efficacy and Sense of Belonging Amongst Mature Students at a Canadian University (Erb & Drysdale, 2017)
Mature adult students in higher education exhibit higher levels of academic self-efficacy and lower levels of test anxiety compared to traditional-age students. However, they report significantly lower levels of sense of belonging, which is concerning given the link between sense of belonging, persistence in higher education, and well-being. The study highlights the need to further…