Students' Feelings of and Desire for Sense of Community in Face-to-Face and Online Courses

In this study, face-to-face (FTF) and online students’ (N = 198) feelings of and desire for sense of community (SOC) in their courses were compared. In support of previous research, FTF students felt more SOC than online students. However, overall, relatively few students (FTF or online) expressed desire for SOC. Additionally, regression analyses revealed that different sets of student characteristics predict FTF and online students’ connectedness and desire for more SOC. Results are discussed with regard to the recommendation that SOC should be fostered in FTF and online classrooms, and future directions for research are presented.

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