Research Article
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Examining sense of community in the pandemic: A case of an online course

Year 2023, Volume: 6 Issue: 3, 602 - 624, 30.09.2023

Gözde Nur Doğuer Diler Öner

https://doi.org/10.31681/jetol.1232789

Abstract

This instrumental case study aimed to understand the development of a sense of community in a fully online course that was offered during the COVID-19 pandemic era. The study further aimed to examine how the particular course elements supported community-building processes. The data were collected through a survey of the sense of community index and semi-structured interviews conducted at the middle and end of the semester. Our findings showed that the four community elements –reinforcement, influence, membership, and shared emotional connection– were all present in this course, although to varying degrees. They also indicated that the adapted course elements for the online modality supported the community-building processes. The implications of the findings for the design of more effective online courses were discussed.

Keywords

Case study online course design sense of community

References

  • Abidin, Z., Mathrani, A., & Hunter, R. (2021). Teaching with technology: a lesson from social participation in an online learning community. Technology, Pedagogy, and Education, 30(3), 381–392.
  • Ali, A., & Smith, D. (2015). Comparing social isolation effects on students' attrition in online versus face-to-face courses in computer literacy. Issues in Informing Science and Information Technology, 12, 11-20.
  • Allen, I. E., & Seaman, J. (2013). Changing course: Ten years of tracking online education in the United States. Babson Survey Research Group and Quahog Research Group.
  • Altman, H. B., Cashin, W. E. (2003). Writing a syllabus: IDEA paper no 27. Retrieved from Center for Faculty Evaluation and Development, Division of Continuing Education, Kansas State University website: http//files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/ED395539.pdf
  • Anderson, T. (2004). The theory and practice of online learning. Au Press.
  • Baskale, H. (2016). Nitel arastirmalarda gecerlik, guvenirlik ve orneklem buyuklugunun belirlenmesi. Dokuz Eylül Üniversitesi Hemsirelik Fakultesi Elektronik Dergisi, 9(1), 23-28.
  • Berry, S. (2019). Teaching to connect: Community-building strategies for the virtual classroom. Online Learning, 23(1), 164-183.
  • Brown, R. (2001). The process of community building in distance learning classes. Journal of Asynchronous Learning Networks 5(2), 18–35.
  • Burroughs, S. M., & Eby, L. T. (1998). Psychological sense of community at work: A measurement system and explanatory framework. Journal of Community Psychology, 26(6), 509-532.
  • Chatterjee, R. & Correia, A. P. (2020) Online students’ attitudes toward collaborative learning and sense of community, American Journal of Distance Education, 34(1), 53-68.
  • Chavis, D. M., Lee, K. S., & Acosta, J. D. (2008). The sense of community (SCI) revised: The reliability and validity of the SCI-2. Paper presented at 2nd International Community Psychology Conference, Lisboa, Portugal.
  • Creswell, J. W., & Poth, C. N. (2013). Qualitative inquiry and research design: Choosing among five approaches (3rd ed.). Sage.
  • Dawson, S. (2006). A study of the relationship between student communication interaction and sense of community. The Internet and Higher Education, 9(3), 153-162.
  • Denzin, N. K. (2009). The research act: A theoretical introduction to sociological methods (1st ed.). Routledge.
  • Galikyan, I., & Admiraal, W. (2019). Students' engagement in asynchronous online discussion: The relationship between cognitive presence, learner prominence, and academic performance. The Internet and Higher Education, 43.
  • Garrison, D., Anderson, R., & Archer, W. (2000). Critical inquiry in a text-based environment: Computer conferencing in higher education. The Internet and Higher Education, 2, 87-105.
  • Glesne, C. (1999). Becoming qualitative researchers: An introduction (2nd ed.). Longman.
  • Gratchev, I., & Espinosa, H. G. (2023). Building a sense of community in an online learning environment. In Gratchev, I., & Espinosa, H. G (Eds.) Advancing engineering education beyond COVID: A guide for educators. CRC Press.
  • Guba, E. G. & Lincoln, Y. S. (1985). Naturalistic inquiry. Sage.
  • Hill, J. L. (1996). Psychological sense of community: Suggestions for future research. Journal of Community Psychology, 24(4), 431-438.
  • Johnson, B., & Christensen, L. (2008). Educational research: Quantitative, qualitative and mixed approaches (3rd ed.). Sage.
  • Lave, J., & Wenger, E. (1991). Situated learning: Legitimate peripheral participation. Cambridge University Press.
  • Lin, X., & Gao, L. (2020). Students’ sense of community and perspectives of taking synchronous and asynchronous online courses. Asian Journal of Distance Education, 15 (1), 169-179.
  • Lincoln, Y. S., & Guba, E. G. (1985). Naturalistic inquiry. Sage.
  • Lincoln, Y. S., & Guba, E. G. (1986). But is it rigorous? Trustworthiness and authenticity in naturalistic evaluation. New Directions for Program Evaluation, 30, 73-84.
  • Liu, X., Magjuka, R. J., Bonk, C. J., & Lee, S. (2007). Does sense of community matter? An examination of participants' perceptions of building learning communities in online courses. Quarterly Review of Distance Education, 8(1), 9-24.
  • Lowenthal, P. R., & Dunlap, J. C. (2018). Investigating students' perceptions of instructional strategies to establish social presence. Distance Education, 39(3), 281-298.
  • Maddix, M. A. (2013). Developing online learning communities. Christian Education Journal: Research on Educational Ministry, 10(1), 139-148.
  • Martin, F., & Wang C. (2018). Student perception of helpfulness of facilitation strategies that enhance instructor presence, connectedness, engagement, and learning in online courses. The Internet and Higher Education, 37, 52-65.
  • McMillan, D. W. (1996). Sense of community. Journal of Community Psychology, 24(4), 315-326.
  • McMillan, D. W., & Chavis, D. M. (1986). Sense of community: A definition and theory. Journal of Community Psychology, 14(1), 6-23.
  • Merriam, S. B. (1998). Qualitative research and case study applications in education. Jossey-Bass Publishers.
  • Merriam, S. B. (2009). Qualitative research: A guide to design and implementation. Jossey-Bass Publishers.
  • Merriam, S. B. (2015). Qualitative research: Designing, implementing, and publishing a study. In C. X. Wang (Ed.) Handbook of research on scholarly publishing and research methods (pp. 125-140). IGI Global.
  • Okita, S. Y., Turkay, S., Kim, M., & Murai, Y. (2013). Learning by teaching with virtual peers and the effects of technological design choices on learning. Computers and Education, 63, 176-196.
  • Oncu, S., & Cakir, H. (2011). Research in online learning environments: Priorities and methodologies. Computers & Education, 57(1), 1098-1108.
  • Ouyang, F., & Scharber, C. (2017). The influences of an experienced instructor's discussion design and facilitation on an online learning community development: A social network analysis study. The Internet and Higher Education, 35, 34-47.
  • Parks-Stamm, E., Zafonte, M., & Palenque S. M. (2017) The effects of instructor participation and class size on student participation in an online class discussion forum. British Journal of Educational Technology, 48(6), 1250-1259.
  • Phirangee, K., & Malec, A. (2017). Othering in online learning: An examination of social presence, identity, and sense of community. Distance Education, 38(2), 160-172.
  • Pilcher, A. (2016). Establishing community in online courses: A literature review. College Student Affairs Leadership, 3(1), 6.
  • Pretty, G., Conroy, C., Dugay, J., Fowler, K., & Williams, D. (1996). Sense of community and its relevance to adolescents of all ages. Journal of Community Psychology, 24, 365-379
  • Ritter, C., Polnick, B., Fink, R., & Oescher, J. (2010). Classroom learning communities in educational leadership: A comparison study of three delivery options. The Internet and Higher Education, 13, 96-100.
  • Rovai, A. P. (2000). Building and sustaining community in asynchronous learning networks. The Internet and Higher Education, 3(4), 285-297.
  • Rovai, A. P. (2001). Building classroom community at a distance: A case study. Educational Technology Research and Development, 49(4), 33-48.
  • Rovai, A. P. (2002a). Building sense of community at a distance. The International Review of Research in Open and Distance Learning, 3, 1-16.
  • Rovai, A. P. (2002b). Sense of community, perceived cognitive learning, and persistence in asynchronous learning networks. The Internet and Higher Education, 5(4), 319-332.
  • Rovai, A. P., Ponton, M. K., & Baker, J. D. (2008). Distance learning in higher education. Teachers College Press.
  • Rovai, A. P., & Wighting, M. J. (2005). Feelings of alienation and community among higher education students in a virtual classroom. The Internet and Higher Education, 8, 97–110.
  • Serembus, J. F., & Murphy, J. (2019). Creating an engaging learning environment through video discussions. Nurse Educator, 45(2), 68-71.
  • Shackelford, J. L., & Maxwell, M. (2012). Contribution of learner–instructor interaction to a sense of community in graduate online education. MERLOT Journal of Online Learning and Teaching, 8 (4), 248-260.
  • Sharts-Hopko, N. C. (2002). Assessing rigor in qualitative research. Journal of the Association of Nurses in AIDS Care, 4(13), 84-86.
  • Shea, P., Li, C., & Pickett, A. (2006). A study of teaching presence and student sense of learning community in fully online and web-enhanced college courses. The Internet and Higher Education, 9(3), 175-190.
  • Sheridan, K., & Kelly, M. A. (2010). The indicators of instructor presence that are important to students in online courses. MERLOT Journal of Online Learning and Teaching, 6(4), 767-779.
  • Slagter van Tryon, P. J., & Bishop, M. J. (2006). Identifying e-immediacy strategies for web-based instruction: A Delphi study. Quarterly Review of Distance Education, 7, 49–62.
  • Slagter van Tryon, P. J., & Bishop, M. J. (2009). Theoretical foundations for enhancing social connectedness in online learning environments. Distance Education, 30, 291-315.
  • Slagter van Tryon, P. J., & Bishop, M. J. (2012). Evaluating social connectedness online: The design and development of the social perceptions in learning contexts instruments. Distance Education, 33(3), 347-364.
  • Snyder, M. (2009). Instructional-design theory to guide the creation of online learning communities for adults. TechTrends, 53, 48-56.
  • Swaggerty, E. A., & Broemmel, A. D. (2017). Authenticity, relevance, and connectedness: Graduate students' learning preferences and experiences in an online reading education course. The Internet and Higher Education, 32, 80-86.
  • Trespalacios, J., & Uribe-Florez, L. J. (2020). Developing online sense of community: Graduate students’ experiences and perceptions. Turkish Online Journal of Distance Education, 21 (1), 57-72.
  • Udenze, S., & Ugoala, B. (2019). Building community and construction identity on WhatsApp: A netnographic approach. Journal of Russian Media and Journalism Studies, 4, 49.
  • Vesely, P., Bloom, P., & Sherlock, J. (2007). Key elements of building online community: Comparing faculty and student perceptions. MERLOT Journal of Online Learning and Teaching, 3(3), 234-246.
  • Wang, M., Cheng, B., Chen, J., Mercer, N., & Kirschner, P. A. (2017). The use of web-based collaborative concept mapping to support group learning and interaction in an online environment. The Internet and Higher Education, 34, 28-40.
  • Wang, J. C., Kirschner, P. A., & Tsai, C. (2018). The role of collaboration, computer use, learning environments, and supporting strategies in CSCL: A meta-analysis. Review of Educational Research, 88(6), 799-843.
  • Wenger, E. C., & Snyder, W. M. (2000). Communities of practice: The organizational frontier. Harvard Business Review, 78(1), 139–146.
  • Wright, R. D. (2014). Student-teacher interaction in online learning environments. IGI Global.
  • Yin, R. K. (2009). Case study research: Design and methods (5th Edition). Sage.
  • Yin, R. K. (2018). Case study research and applications (6th Edition). Sage.

Year 2023, Volume: 6 Issue: 3, 602 - 624, 30.09.2023

Gözde Nur Doğuer Diler Öner

https://doi.org/10.31681/jetol.1232789

Abstract

References

  • Abidin, Z., Mathrani, A., & Hunter, R. (2021). Teaching with technology: a lesson from social participation in an online learning community. Technology, Pedagogy, and Education, 30(3), 381–392.
  • Ali, A., & Smith, D. (2015). Comparing social isolation effects on students' attrition in online versus face-to-face courses in computer literacy. Issues in Informing Science and Information Technology, 12, 11-20.
  • Allen, I. E., & Seaman, J. (2013). Changing course: Ten years of tracking online education in the United States. Babson Survey Research Group and Quahog Research Group.
  • Altman, H. B., Cashin, W. E. (2003). Writing a syllabus: IDEA paper no 27. Retrieved from Center for Faculty Evaluation and Development, Division of Continuing Education, Kansas State University website: http//files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/ED395539.pdf
  • Anderson, T. (2004). The theory and practice of online learning. Au Press.
  • Baskale, H. (2016). Nitel arastirmalarda gecerlik, guvenirlik ve orneklem buyuklugunun belirlenmesi. Dokuz Eylül Üniversitesi Hemsirelik Fakultesi Elektronik Dergisi, 9(1), 23-28.
  • Berry, S. (2019). Teaching to connect: Community-building strategies for the virtual classroom. Online Learning, 23(1), 164-183.
  • Brown, R. (2001). The process of community building in distance learning classes. Journal of Asynchronous Learning Networks 5(2), 18–35.
  • Burroughs, S. M., & Eby, L. T. (1998). Psychological sense of community at work: A measurement system and explanatory framework. Journal of Community Psychology, 26(6), 509-532.
  • Chatterjee, R. & Correia, A. P. (2020) Online students’ attitudes toward collaborative learning and sense of community, American Journal of Distance Education, 34(1), 53-68.
  • Chavis, D. M., Lee, K. S., & Acosta, J. D. (2008). The sense of community (SCI) revised: The reliability and validity of the SCI-2. Paper presented at 2nd International Community Psychology Conference, Lisboa, Portugal.
  • Creswell, J. W., & Poth, C. N. (2013). Qualitative inquiry and research design: Choosing among five approaches (3rd ed.). Sage.
  • Dawson, S. (2006). A study of the relationship between student communication interaction and sense of community. The Internet and Higher Education, 9(3), 153-162.
  • Denzin, N. K. (2009). The research act: A theoretical introduction to sociological methods (1st ed.). Routledge.
  • Galikyan, I., & Admiraal, W. (2019). Students' engagement in asynchronous online discussion: The relationship between cognitive presence, learner prominence, and academic performance. The Internet and Higher Education, 43.
  • Garrison, D., Anderson, R., & Archer, W. (2000). Critical inquiry in a text-based environment: Computer conferencing in higher education. The Internet and Higher Education, 2, 87-105.
  • Glesne, C. (1999). Becoming qualitative researchers: An introduction (2nd ed.). Longman.
  • Gratchev, I., & Espinosa, H. G. (2023). Building a sense of community in an online learning environment. In Gratchev, I., & Espinosa, H. G (Eds.) Advancing engineering education beyond COVID: A guide for educators. CRC Press.
  • Guba, E. G. & Lincoln, Y. S. (1985). Naturalistic inquiry. Sage.
  • Hill, J. L. (1996). Psychological sense of community: Suggestions for future research. Journal of Community Psychology, 24(4), 431-438.
  • Johnson, B., & Christensen, L. (2008). Educational research: Quantitative, qualitative and mixed approaches (3rd ed.). Sage.
  • Lave, J., & Wenger, E. (1991). Situated learning: Legitimate peripheral participation. Cambridge University Press.
  • Lin, X., & Gao, L. (2020). Students’ sense of community and perspectives of taking synchronous and asynchronous online courses. Asian Journal of Distance Education, 15 (1), 169-179.
  • Lincoln, Y. S., & Guba, E. G. (1985). Naturalistic inquiry. Sage.
  • Lincoln, Y. S., & Guba, E. G. (1986). But is it rigorous? Trustworthiness and authenticity in naturalistic evaluation. New Directions for Program Evaluation, 30, 73-84.
  • Liu, X., Magjuka, R. J., Bonk, C. J., & Lee, S. (2007). Does sense of community matter? An examination of participants' perceptions of building learning communities in online courses. Quarterly Review of Distance Education, 8(1), 9-24.
  • Lowenthal, P. R., & Dunlap, J. C. (2018). Investigating students' perceptions of instructional strategies to establish social presence. Distance Education, 39(3), 281-298.
  • Maddix, M. A. (2013). Developing online learning communities. Christian Education Journal: Research on Educational Ministry, 10(1), 139-148.
  • Martin, F., & Wang C. (2018). Student perception of helpfulness of facilitation strategies that enhance instructor presence, connectedness, engagement, and learning in online courses. The Internet and Higher Education, 37, 52-65.
  • McMillan, D. W. (1996). Sense of community. Journal of Community Psychology, 24(4), 315-326.
  • McMillan, D. W., & Chavis, D. M. (1986). Sense of community: A definition and theory. Journal of Community Psychology, 14(1), 6-23.
  • Merriam, S. B. (1998). Qualitative research and case study applications in education. Jossey-Bass Publishers.
  • Merriam, S. B. (2009). Qualitative research: A guide to design and implementation. Jossey-Bass Publishers.
  • Merriam, S. B. (2015). Qualitative research: Designing, implementing, and publishing a study. In C. X. Wang (Ed.) Handbook of research on scholarly publishing and research methods (pp. 125-140). IGI Global.
  • Okita, S. Y., Turkay, S., Kim, M., & Murai, Y. (2013). Learning by teaching with virtual peers and the effects of technological design choices on learning. Computers and Education, 63, 176-196.
  • Oncu, S., & Cakir, H. (2011). Research in online learning environments: Priorities and methodologies. Computers & Education, 57(1), 1098-1108.
  • Ouyang, F., & Scharber, C. (2017). The influences of an experienced instructor's discussion design and facilitation on an online learning community development: A social network analysis study. The Internet and Higher Education, 35, 34-47.
  • Parks-Stamm, E., Zafonte, M., & Palenque S. M. (2017) The effects of instructor participation and class size on student participation in an online class discussion forum. British Journal of Educational Technology, 48(6), 1250-1259.
  • Phirangee, K., & Malec, A. (2017). Othering in online learning: An examination of social presence, identity, and sense of community. Distance Education, 38(2), 160-172.
  • Pilcher, A. (2016). Establishing community in online courses: A literature review. College Student Affairs Leadership, 3(1), 6.
  • Pretty, G., Conroy, C., Dugay, J., Fowler, K., & Williams, D. (1996). Sense of community and its relevance to adolescents of all ages. Journal of Community Psychology, 24, 365-379
  • Ritter, C., Polnick, B., Fink, R., & Oescher, J. (2010). Classroom learning communities in educational leadership: A comparison study of three delivery options. The Internet and Higher Education, 13, 96-100.
  • Rovai, A. P. (2000). Building and sustaining community in asynchronous learning networks. The Internet and Higher Education, 3(4), 285-297.
  • Rovai, A. P. (2001). Building classroom community at a distance: A case study. Educational Technology Research and Development, 49(4), 33-48.
  • Rovai, A. P. (2002a). Building sense of community at a distance. The International Review of Research in Open and Distance Learning, 3, 1-16.
  • Rovai, A. P. (2002b). Sense of community, perceived cognitive learning, and persistence in asynchronous learning networks. The Internet and Higher Education, 5(4), 319-332.
  • Rovai, A. P., Ponton, M. K., & Baker, J. D. (2008). Distance learning in higher education. Teachers College Press.
  • Rovai, A. P., & Wighting, M. J. (2005). Feelings of alienation and community among higher education students in a virtual classroom. The Internet and Higher Education, 8, 97–110.
  • Serembus, J. F., & Murphy, J. (2019). Creating an engaging learning environment through video discussions. Nurse Educator, 45(2), 68-71.
  • Shackelford, J. L., & Maxwell, M. (2012). Contribution of learner–instructor interaction to a sense of community in graduate online education. MERLOT Journal of Online Learning and Teaching, 8 (4), 248-260.
  • Sharts-Hopko, N. C. (2002). Assessing rigor in qualitative research. Journal of the Association of Nurses in AIDS Care, 4(13), 84-86.
  • Shea, P., Li, C., & Pickett, A. (2006). A study of teaching presence and student sense of learning community in fully online and web-enhanced college courses. The Internet and Higher Education, 9(3), 175-190.
  • Sheridan, K., & Kelly, M. A. (2010). The indicators of instructor presence that are important to students in online courses. MERLOT Journal of Online Learning and Teaching, 6(4), 767-779.
  • Slagter van Tryon, P. J., & Bishop, M. J. (2006). Identifying e-immediacy strategies for web-based instruction: A Delphi study. Quarterly Review of Distance Education, 7, 49–62.
  • Slagter van Tryon, P. J., & Bishop, M. J. (2009). Theoretical foundations for enhancing social connectedness in online learning environments. Distance Education, 30, 291-315.
  • Slagter van Tryon, P. J., & Bishop, M. J. (2012). Evaluating social connectedness online: The design and development of the social perceptions in learning contexts instruments. Distance Education, 33(3), 347-364.
  • Snyder, M. (2009). Instructional-design theory to guide the creation of online learning communities for adults. TechTrends, 53, 48-56.
  • Swaggerty, E. A., & Broemmel, A. D. (2017). Authenticity, relevance, and connectedness: Graduate students' learning preferences and experiences in an online reading education course. The Internet and Higher Education, 32, 80-86.
  • Trespalacios, J., & Uribe-Florez, L. J. (2020). Developing online sense of community: Graduate students’ experiences and perceptions. Turkish Online Journal of Distance Education, 21 (1), 57-72.
  • Udenze, S., & Ugoala, B. (2019). Building community and construction identity on WhatsApp: A netnographic approach. Journal of Russian Media and Journalism Studies, 4, 49.
  • Vesely, P., Bloom, P., & Sherlock, J. (2007). Key elements of building online community: Comparing faculty and student perceptions. MERLOT Journal of Online Learning and Teaching, 3(3), 234-246.
  • Wang, M., Cheng, B., Chen, J., Mercer, N., & Kirschner, P. A. (2017). The use of web-based collaborative concept mapping to support group learning and interaction in an online environment. The Internet and Higher Education, 34, 28-40.
  • Wang, J. C., Kirschner, P. A., & Tsai, C. (2018). The role of collaboration, computer use, learning environments, and supporting strategies in CSCL: A meta-analysis. Review of Educational Research, 88(6), 799-843.
  • Wenger, E. C., & Snyder, W. M. (2000). Communities of practice: The organizational frontier. Harvard Business Review, 78(1), 139–146.
  • Wright, R. D. (2014). Student-teacher interaction in online learning environments. IGI Global.
  • Yin, R. K. (2009). Case study research: Design and methods (5th Edition). Sage.
  • Yin, R. K. (2018). Case study research and applications (6th Edition). Sage.
There are 67 citations in total.

Details

Primary Language English
Subjects Studies on Education
Journal Section Articles
Authors

Gözde Nur Doğuer 0000-0002-3891-4313

Diler Öner 0000-0002-4817-3846

Publication Date September 30, 2023
Published in Issue Year 2023 Volume: 6 Issue: 3

Cite

APA Doğuer, G. N., & Öner, D. (2023). Examining sense of community in the pandemic: A case of an online course. Journal of Educational Technology and Online Learning, 6(3), 602-624. https://doi.org/10.31681/jetol.1232789
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