ON DISCOVERING AND PROFITING FROM THE SENSE OF BELONGING LITERATURE
Keywords:
sense of belonging, online learning,Abstract
A sense of belonging (SoB) is a recognised and valued concept in
education, associated with increased student attainment,
improved learners’ satisfaction and lowered attrition rates.
Some scholars even assert that learners are unable to fulfil the
goals of higher education without first having acquired a SoB. I
am suggesting that a SoB should be generated purposefully in
any online learning environment, to address learners’ welldocumented
feelings of isolation, marginalisation, alienation
and loneliness. I explore a definition of this concept and then
summarise what I have found in the work of researchers who
consider it important that their learners develop a sense of
belonging. Thereafter, I outline the principal features which
contribute to a learner’s sense of belonging, and what is known
of how they are promoted (or frustrated) by institution, course
teams or individual tutors. Finally, I indicate the immediate
priorities for teachers like myself who wish to promote and
evaluate a sense of belonging for their learners in their own
context.
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