ERIC Number: EJ1147474
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2017
Pages: 13
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-0158-7919
EISSN: N/A
Othering in Online Learning: An Examination of Social Presence, Identity, and Sense of Community
Phirangee, Krystle; Malec, Alesia
Distance Education, v38 n2 p160-172 2017
Fostering a strong sense of community among students in online courses is the goal of many instructors because it is seen as being essential in supporting students' learning experiences. However, high dropout rates in online learning suggest that students feel disconnected and isolated from their course, feelings which have been attributed to the physical separation of students from each other and the instructor. Through in-depth semi-structured interviews, we explored how six graduate students from different institutions enrolled in varying online courses were "othered" in online learning. Open and focused coding of the interviews identified three categories of other status for our participants--professional, academic, and ethnic--each of which contributed to feelings of disconnection and isolation when learning online.
Descriptors: Self Concept, Online Courses, Sense of Community, Dropout Rate, Semi Structured Interviews, Graduate Students, Coding, Ethnicity, Social Isolation, Student Attitudes, Grounded Theory, Case Studies, Computer Mediated Communication, Learning Experience, Foreign Countries, Qualitative Research
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Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: Higher Education; Postsecondary Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Identifiers - Location: Canada
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A