ERIC Number: EJ1444079
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2024-Dec
Pages: 25
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-1042-1726
EISSN: EISSN-1867-1233
Available Date: N/A
Academic Communities of Engagement: Exploring the Impact of Online and In-Person Support Communities on the Academic Engagement of Online Learners
Journal of Computing in Higher Education, v36 n3 p702-726 2024
Institutions of higher education are interested in supporting the academic success of their students in the most effective ways possible. Increasingly, this means engaging students in a blend of both online and in-person learning activities as well as connecting students with supportive communities in both modalities. This research explores the efforts of an institution that is trying to create positive post-secondary learning experiences for thousands of adults who have experienced significant barriers to accessing higher education through traditional routes. Students around the world are supported through both online and local, in-person communities created to support their academic engagement. In this study we used social network analysis to examine and compare the influence of both in-person and online support communities on student affective and cognitive engagement. We also compared the strength of engagement support from peers, teachers, and personal family/friend networks. We found significant differences in the strength, frequency, and type of support offered by the online and in-person aspects of the program as well as in the students' self-reported engagement and enjoyment between the two modalities. While in-person communities in this context had the greatest impact on both blended and in-person student engagement, the online community also had a significant effect on student engagement. This research adds to the blended learning literature by illustrating that course communities are not only distinguished based on time and actors, but also by modality. Support communities that occur in blended and online contexts affect student engagement in different, and often complementary, ways.
Descriptors: Higher Education, Postsecondary Education, Learning Experience, Social Support Groups, Learner Engagement, Computer Mediated Communication, Internet, Peer Relationship, Teacher Student Relationship, Friendship, Social Networks, Academic Achievement, Electronic Learning, Online Courses, Family Relationship
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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
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A
Author Affiliations: N/A