Promoting sense of belonging in online learning communities of inquiry in accredited courses

Abstract

A sense of belonging (SoB) is a valued concept in campus-based learning, being firmly linked with improved student attainment, increased learner satisfaction, and reduced attrition rates. Some researchers, echoing the work of Maslow (1962), even assert that learners cannot fulfill the goals of higher education without acquiring SoB. This study recognizes that SoB can help promote and consolidate online learning and seeks to suggest how tutors may nurture online learners’ SoB. An adapted version of the Community of Inquiry framework (CoIF) is used to frame specific suggestions for action in accredited courses. This revision of the well-known framework focuses on the overlapping intersections of the three presences, which are also known as influences: trusting, meaning-making, and deepening understandings. Guidance illustrated with examples is provided for each influence, leading to particular suggestions that concentrate on the promotion of a sense of belonging as an important aspect of the online tutor’s facilitative activities.