Abstract

Learning environments that support a sense of belonging have been shown to help students fully and meaningfully participate in their learning. Less is known, however, about the social organization of online learning environments that support a sense of belonging, particularly in postsecondary contexts. With an explicit attention to issues of equity, this mixed-methods study examined what makes undergraduate students in the United States of America (N = 4,544) feel included in online learning environments during a global pandemic. Survey responses collected in the fall of 2020 were analyzed through a sociocultural learning theory framework. Rating scale and open-ended responses revealed that students’ sense of belonging and inclusion varied by student race and gender and by instructional modality (synchronous vs. asynchronous). Opportunities for discussion, interaction with peers, and feeling that one’s racial or ethnic group was represented in the curriculum were among the environmental affordances that supported a sense of belonging.

摘要

支持归属感的学习环境已被证明可以帮助学生充分和有意义地参与他们的学习。然而，人们对支持归属感的在线学习环境的社会组织知之甚少，尤其是在高等教育背景下。明确关注公平问题，这项混合方法研究考察了是什么造就了美利坚合众国的本科生 ( N = 4,544) 在全球大流行期间感觉融入了在线学习环境。通过社会文化学习理论框架分析了 2020 年秋季收集的调查回复。评分量表和开放式回答表明，学生的归属感和包容感因学生种族和性别以及教学方式（同步与异步）而异。讨论的机会、与同龄人的互动以及感觉自己的种族或族裔群体在课程中得到体现，这些都是支持归属感的环境可供性。