Abstract
<p class="3">The Online Student Connectedness Survey (OSCS) was introduced to the academic community in 2012 as an instrument designed to measure feelings of connectedness between students participating in online degree and certification programs. The purpose of this study was to examine data from the instrument for initial evidence of validity and reliability and to establish a nomological network between the OSCS, the Classroom Connectedness Survey (CCS), and the Community of Inquiry Survey (COI), which are similar instruments in the field. Results provided evidence of factor validity and reliability. Additionally, statistically and practically significant correlations were demonstrated between factors contained in the OSCS and established instruments measuring factors related to student connectedness. These results indicate that for the sample used in this study, the OSCS provides data that are valid and reliable for assessing feelings of connection between participants in online courses at institutions of higher learning.</p>
Highlights
The struggling economy and increased competition in the job market have helped intensify enrollment in online classes at higher education institutions (Sheehy, 2012). This growth has led to an upsurge in research into factors that result in student success in online classes, most notably online student connectedness (Garrison & Arbaugh, 2007; Ouzts, 2006)
The ability to understand how students interact and succeed in online courses is critical because online learning is expected to be a vital part of long-term strategies for many higher education institutions (Sheehy, 2012)
The target population for this study included students enrolled in online courses at 4-year, public higher education institutions located in the United States
Summary
The struggling economy and increased competition in the job market have helped intensify enrollment in online classes at higher education institutions (Sheehy, 2012). A review of the contemporary literature yielded three instruments designed to measure the concept of online student connectedness (Bolliger & Inan, 2012) These instruments are: the Classroom Community Scale (CCS; Rovai, 2002a), the Community of Inquiry Scale (COI; Arbaugh et al, 2008), and the Online Student Connectedness Survey (OSCS; Bolliger & Inan, 2012). Evidence suggests that students' feelings toward the facilitator and their level of comfort with technology are critical factors in developing feelings of social connectedness in online educational settings (Bolliger, 2004; Bolliger & Inan, 2012; Garrison & Arbaugh, 2007). Based on this review of instruments designed to measure feelings of connectedness, the OSCS may be the first all-inclusive survey designed for participants in online educational settings
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