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Community And Belonging
Fostering a sense of community and belonging is a core value at OneHE, as we acknowledge its pivotal role in enhancing student success. In this section, we look at how we can be purposeful in creating community and belonging. This isn’t something that just happens “in the moment” – there are things we can do before courses begin as well as during and after that build community and belonging and sustain the experience into future study.
Introduction to Community and Belonging
Over the last decade, research has highlighted the importance of community and belonging for student success. Community enhances the overall student experience by creating a supportive environment where individuals feel valued and connected. This contributes to higher levels of academic engagement, motivation, and retention, while also promoting collaboration and fostering an appreciation of diverse perspectives. Students in supportive communities are more likely to seek help when needed, share ideas, and actively participate in academic life.
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Building Community in Week 1
It is never too early to start building community—and welcoming learners early, and often, can contribute to a trusting and supportive educational environment. Sharing lived experiences is part of this process, and making space for “get to know you” exercises, in all their many forms, can build a sense of belonging that deepens learning. Starting strong with community building sets a precedent for effective engagement that will permeate the entire experience.
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Building Community Online
Community-building is different online—but that doesn’t mean it’s deficient. All community-building requires intention, and being proactive about the types of interactions, and the goals for involvement, can make all the difference in effective online community-building. The research shows that while community-building online is often mediated by technology, the humans using that technology matter most. How might we continue to promote humanised online learning—with community at its center?
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Research shows a link between a caring online instructor and success in online courses. Humanising your online course involves establishing a positive educator-student relationship that supports the cognitive development of diverse students into independent learners.
Building Community with Technology
There are many wonderful tools available to help promote community-building – the key is to approach their integration with intention. Try starting with small and sustainable measures. Identifying tools that can help your community thrive, matching form to function, and communicating the intended impact to learners, can lead to enhanced engagement and enthusiasm.
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Building a Supportive Classroom Culture
Classroom culture can make or break a learning experience. As educators, we must be intentional with noting students in their diversity, nurturing a community of belonging, and noticing opportunities for increasing support. Supportive classroom cultures do all of this and then some. When we build support into the foundation of a learning experience, we make space to empower and energise all of its participants.
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When students are not sure they belong in a class or on campus, they may struggle to be academically successful. There are things we can do in our classrooms and other learning settings to nurture students' sense of belonging.
Enhancing Student Engagement
When students are engaged in learning, their attention sharpens, their critical thinking activates, and their motivation increases. Perhaps not surprisingly, then, student engagement is an essential element of effective learning. There are many mediums for promoting engagement – from active learning to compelling conversation, to innovative assessments and assignments. What unites these strategies is an emphasis on empowerment—with engaged learning, rather than being passive recipients, learners are empowered participants.
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