Sense of Belonging

Belonging refers to the attachment, reciprocity and  mutual  support that students feel towards various scales of community—their peers, teachers, institution, profession, etc.  As a key contributor to a student’s overall well-being and ability to learn, a sense of belonging and social integration has been shown to be vital to a successful educational experience.

Considerations for Dual Delivery:

In an effort to ensure equity across Dual Delivery learning modes, it is critical that support for student belonging is carefully considered. This includes gauging whether online students are provided with equitable opportunities to connect with their peers and wider academic/professional communities alongside their blended learning counterparts. It will be important to provide opportunities for students in both modes to contribute to the whole cohort in ways that are particular to them and also valued.

Consider how teaching staff can support online students, in particular, to achieve a sense of belonging. Without moments before, after and between campus-based learning activities to make informal connections with each other and their teachers, online students are more reliant on teaching staff to facilitate these social connections. ABP coordinators have found that offering informal synchronous sessions for students to interact with staff and one another online has helped foster a sense of belonging.

For more BEL+T guidance on supportive learning environments and blended learning.