Fostering Academic Tenacity: Online Connection

Steven Barnes teaches in Psychology and facilitates opportunities for his students to build community in the online courses that he teaches. Steven designed his online sections of introductory psychology courses with the intention of facilitating a sense of belonging amongst students in the courses. In these instructor-paced, online courses of approximately 130 students, activities include short pre-recorded video lectures, animations, and interviews, online office hours with the instructor and TAs, and student-led study sessions.

Further, students have the opportunity to see each other’s work through an assignment that involves peer assessment, that uses the tool comPAIR. Throughout the course there are multiple opportunities for students to connect with their instructor and their peers in an online space.

The impact of a key question in mind: How does the opportunity to participate in community-building learning activities within an online course affect students’ sense of belonging?

Key findings include:

• About 65% of students agreed that ComPAIR helped improve their insight into what their peers were doing in the course. 
• About 65% of students agreed that online office hours made them feel more connected with their instructor.

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