Scholarly Article (2020) - An Exploration Into the Importance of a Sense of Belonging for Online Learners

Title:
An Exploration Into the Importance of a Sense of Belonging for Online Learners

Authors:
Susi Peacock, John Cowan, Lindesay Irvine & Jane Williams

Published:
The International Review of Research in Open and Distributed Learning, Volume 21, Number 2 (2020)
Available: http://www.irrodl.org/index.php/irrodl/article/view/4539

From the abstract:
"Fostering a sense of belonging and a personal connection is seen as fundamental by many educational researchers, regardless of the learning environment. Online learning certainly provides flexible learning opportunities but comes with notable issues. For online learners, nurturing a sense of belonging may present a way of improving their experiences and attainment, as well as reducing attrition rates. Research specifically exploring sense of belonging and online learning is limited. This article addresses that gap and reports on a small-scale exploratory study using qualitative data-collection and analysis methods to investigate the importance, or not, of sense of belonging for postgraduates’ online education by exploring the origins and nature of their lived experience of online learning and their sense of belonging therein."

Scholarly Article (2020) - An Exploration Into the Importance of a Sense of Belonging for Online Learners

Title:
An Exploration Into the Importance of a Sense of Belonging for Online Learners

Authors:
Susi Peacock, John Cowan, Lindesay Irvine & Jane Williams

Published:
IRRODL (The International Review of Research in Open and Distributed Learning), volume 21, number 2, pp. 18-35 (2020).
https://doi.org/10.19173/irrodl.v20i5.4539

From the abstract:
"Fostering a sense of belonging and a personal connection is seen as fundamental by many educational researchers, regardless of the learning environment. Online learning certainly provides flexible learning opportunities but comes with notable issues. For online learners, nurturing a sense of belonging may present a way of improving their experiences and attainment, as well as reducing attrition rates. Research specifically exploring sense of belonging and online learning is limited. This article addresses that gap and reports on a small-scale exploratory study using qualitative data-collection and analysis methods to investigate the importance, or not, of sense of belonging for postgraduates’ online education by exploring the origins and nature of their lived experience of online learning and their sense of belonging therein."