Student Connectedness Research Articles

The Relationship between the Use of Non-Verbal Information in Communication and Student Connectedness and Engagement in Online Design Education

The COVID-19 pandemic poses a threat to the sustainability of higher education. Connectedness and engagement, two characteristics crucial to design education, have weakened significantly in online courses. However, limited research has been conducted on online design education than on STEM fields. Based on the dual coding theory, the purpose of this study was to use non-verbal tools to enhance design student connectedness and engagement in online class communication. In a quasi-experiment, 122 design students from a Chinese university were questioned and analyzed. They were randomly assigned to four different teaching situations and the effectiveness of two non-verbal tools was tested: emoticons and shared whiteboards. The ANOVA revealed a positive correlation between the use of non-verbal information in online class communication and the connectedness and engagement of design students. Moreover, the students in the group who used plentiful personified-form emoticons gave feedback and reported a stronger sense of connectedness and engagement. The whiteboard group’s data did not significantly differ from the control group, unlike the STEM discipline. To better develop the sustainability of design education, we provide recommendations for the design of online-education software and the method of online design instruction.

The influence of students' sense of social connectedness on prosocial behavior in higher education institutions in Guangxi, China: A perspective of perceived teachers' character teaching behavior and social support.

The objective of this study is to examine the sense of social connectedness (SSC) and prosocial behavior (PB) of students in Guangxi higher education institutions in China and to further understand the factors influencing PB of higher education students. In this study, a total of 1,007 students were sampled from 8 Guangxi higher vocational schools through purposive sampling using questionnaires, of which 676 (67.1%) were male students and 331 (32.9%) were female students. This study further enriches self-determination theory by exploring the effects of teachers' character teaching behaviors and social support on PB, using the SSC as an intrinsic motivation. In addition, the results of the study revealed that SSC, perceived teacher character teaching behaviors and perceived social support (PSS) were positively related to students' PB. SSC affects PB not only directly, but also indirectly through the mediating role of perceived teacher character teaching behavior and perceived teacher support. Teacher character teaching behaviors and PSS also play a chain mediating role in the relationship between SSC and PB. Finally, this study provides strategies to optimize school character management for higher education students in order to meet their basic psychological needs and thus promote the production of PB.

A peer community approach to research education: A case study of a student-initiated online community

This paper reports the trends and challenges of research education in Australia, and presents a case study of a student-initiated community for Higher Degree Research (HDR) students at a public university. The study aims to determine whether an online Community of Practice (CoP) has developed among HDR students without any design effort from the university, and whether the community helped HDR students achieve connectedness without face-to-face interactions. The results indicate that the community is a spontaneous, distributed, small but diverse HDR CoP within a faculty. Feedback from the members show that the technology employed in the community is appropriate for peer communication, knowledge sharing and collaboration in the CoP, but technical problems on the communication technology could discourage members’ engagement and participation. The findings also reveal that length of the membership has a statistically significant impact on HDR student connectedness, but technology satisfaction and virtual mode do not.

Multimedia Characteristics, Student Relationships, and Teaching Behaviors Predict Perceptions of an Inclusive Classroom Across Course Delivery Format

Background Student perceptions of inclusion have been predicted by rapport, and belongingness in face-to-face courses, although these relationships have not been studied across course delivery formats. Objective This study clarified relationships among course multimedia characteristics, student–professor rapport, instructor and student presence, classroom climate, quality of teaching behaviors, and perceptions of an inclusive classroom in varied course delivery formats. Method A total of 479 students from two universities completed an online survey assessing their course delivery format, multimedia characteristics, rapport, instructor and student presence, classroom climate, teaching behaviors, and perceptions of an inclusive classroom. Results Students’ perceptions of inclusion were predicted by course multimedia characteristics (e.g., videos), student–professor rapport, instructor presence, course structure, course clarity, student connectedness, and the quality of teaching behaviors. Conclusion Inclusive classrooms reflect a myriad of instructor-, student-, and classroom-level characteristics and behaviors. However, the predictive value of these characteristics can change based on the course delivery format. Teaching Implications Faculty professional development opportunities for inclusive pedagogy should include skill development for course design (multimedia characteristics, structure), professor–student rapport-building and classroom community building, and high-quality teaching behaviors that align with specific course delivery formats.

Arts, cultural and creative engagement during COVID-19: Enhancing the mental wellbeing and social connectedness of university staff and students

Arts, cultural and creative engagement during COVID-19: Enhancing the mental wellbeing and social connectedness of university staff and students

The Relationship between Teaming Effectiveness and Online Students’ Sense of Connectedness in a First-Year Engineering Program

The relationship between team effectiveness and student online connectedness was investigated in a first- year engineering course developed around teaming projects. While team effectiveness has typically been incorporated in learning environments to obtain specific content-related learning objectives or career preparedness outcomes, our goal was to determine if the teaming could also contribute to students’ sense of community and connectedness during virtual courses offered during the pandemic. Our exploratory study determined that several of the teaming effectiveness factors significantly predicted factors from the Online Student Connectedness Survey. We discuss the possibility of intentionally utilizing good teaming practices to enhance students’ sense of community and connectedness to course or programs of study.

Coping with the ‘new (ab)normal’ in school: an EMA study of youth coping with the return to in-person education during the COVID-19 pandemic

Many concerns exist about potential long-term psychosocial impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on young people. While the school has been identified as having a vital role in psychological recovery post-disaster more generally, it is unclear as yet how young people have adapted to the return to in-person education. This paper reports on the preliminary findings from an intensive Ecological Momentary Analysis exploration of the affective wellbeing, experiences and coping of 82 Irish second-level students. The participants were found to experience more positive than negative events, and to have moderate-high levels of positive affect and perceived coping during the 7-day period of monitoring. However, the findings also suggest that some students, particularly those with pre-existing psychological difficulties, may be in need of additional targeted support. Accordingly, it is recommended that in the short to medium-term, second-level schools should strive to prioritise the psychological recovery and resilience of students such as through an emphasis on re-establishing and consolidating a sense of student connectedness.

Priority setting in higher education research using a mixed methods approach

ABSTRACT Setting priorities for higher education research is essential to maximise limited resources. Our study aimed to identify priorities for higher education research at one large research-intensive Australian university. A sequential three-phase mixed methods study was conducted. Phase 1 engaged 69 students, academics, and professional staff in an anonymous qualitative online survey to identify their perspectives on priorities. These qualitative data were analysed using thematic analysis and the findings were then converted to a quantitative online survey (phase 2) that engaged 187 students, academics, and professional staff to determine the top priorities and the reasons for their choices. Descriptive statistical analysis of phase 2 Likert scales and rank order of priorities revealed the top three priorities from 39 priorities: (1) understanding how to engage students in learning; (2) understanding how to teach creative and critical thinking skills; and (3) understanding how to promote resilience, wellbeing and student connectedness. In phase 3, five focus groups with 19 participants affirmed these ratings/rankings. Our study is the first to identify research priorities for higher education to our knowledge, and may be used to focus future higher education research strategy.

Evaluating the feasibility, fidelity, and preliminary effectiveness of a school-based intervention to improve the school participation and feelings of connectedness of elementary school students on the autism spectrum.

In My Shoes is a peer supported, teacher-led, school-based intervention that aims to improve the school participation and connectedness of students on the autism spectrum. The aim of this study was to explore the feasibility, fidelity, and preliminary effectiveness of In My Shoes in mainstream elementary schools. Ten Grade 3 and 4 students on the autism spectrum and 200 of their typically developing peers across eight classrooms and six schools participated. The following aspects of feasibility were explored: recruitment capability and sample characteristics, data collection procedures and outcome measures, appropriateness, implementation, and practicality of the intervention. Fidelity was explored by evaluating the delivery of intervention components against set criteria. Preliminary effectiveness was investigated by evaluating changes in intervention outcomes pre-post intervention using a range of outcome measures. Study findings are encouraging, suggesting In My Shoes is a feasible and appropriate intervention, and shows promise in improving the self-report school engagement of all student participants, as well the classroom participation and subjective school experiences of students on the autism spectrum. Useful insights into ways the intervention and the design of future research can be improved are discussed.

School connectedness, school climate and emotional and behaviour disorders in students: Examining relationships

Students with emotional and behaviour disorders (EBDs) have challenging school connectedness experiences related to their social, behaviour and academic problems. They need accommodative school climate. Therefore, it is necessary to know the relationship between variations in EBDs, school connectedness and school climate. This was a survey research on students with EBDs (N = 60) from 14 inclusive elementary schools. Questionnaires about EBD types, school connectedness and school climate were filled out by teachers as data. The data analysis technique used was descriptive statistics with product–moment correlation test. The results indicate that EBDs have a medium significant negative correlation with school connectedness (−0.591) and school climate (−0.521). School climate has a positive correlation with school connectedness (0.438). This study suggests positive school climate improvement to increase school connectedness of students with EBDs, because it can affect the reduction of problem behaviour. 
 
 Keywords: Student, emotional disorder, behaviour disorders, school connectedness, school climate, inclusive schools;

Loneliness, Belonging, and Mental Health in Australian University Students Pre- and Post-COVID-19

AbstractThe move to online learning during COVID-19 deprived first-year students of friendships and other sources of social support that could buffer against stress during their transition to university. These effects may have been worse for international students than domestic students as many were subjected to travel restrictions or quarantine in addition to the usual stressors. This study examined the impact of COVID-19 on social connectedness and mental health of first-year students enrolled in a metropolitan university in Australia. The study involved 1239 students (30.4% international) and used a 3 (cohorts: 2019, 2020, 2021) × 2 (enrolment status: domestic and international) between-group design. Results showed that both loneliness and university belonging were significantly worse during the first year of COVID-19 compared to the year before or after. Contrary to expectation, domestic students were lonelier than international students across all cohorts. Multiple-group memberships did not change. As predicted, loneliness was moderately to highly correlated with the number of stressors, psychological distress, and (lower) well-being, whereas university belonging and multiple-group memberships were related to positive mental health outcomes. These findings highlight the need for initiatives that promote student connectedness and mental health as the university sector recovers from COVID-19.

An Exploration of How Biophilic Attributes on Campuses Might Support Student Connectedness to Nature, Others, and Self.

University Campuses remain important settings for nurturing and supporting student health and quality of life (QoL). Research shows the health benefits of nature experiences may be facilitated by campus spaces and activities that afford connectedness. Connectedness to nature, others, and self may allow students to cope with mental fatigue, stress, and a constant need for restoration. Despite recent encouraging trends, we still lack an integrative conceptual framework to describe the mechanisms involved in achieving connectedness for making recommendations for campus design. In this conceptual review, we examine students’ connectedness in campus settings in relation to biophilic elements and attributes. We aim to understand how both direct and indirect pursuits in nature and also place-based experiences on campus foster connectedness and consequently impact students’ health and QoL. Our analysis shows that connectedness seen through the lens of Kellert’s biophilic design principles and aided by Alexander’s pattern language provides a relational and long-term perspective on recommending strategies for connecting students to nature, to others, and to themselves in campus settings.

Development and Evaluation of a Nature of Science-Based Online Course in Tenth-Grade Evolution

Worldwide, misconceptions and non-scientific notions about evolution are prevalent within academic circles. As online learning gains popularity because of the COVID-19 pandemic, it is crucial to identify practices that support learning in these contexts. Using the ADDIE instructional model, this study developed and evaluated a nature of science-based online course in evolution for tenth-grade junior high school students. Results revealed that the biology teachers considered the quality of pedagogies, resources, and delivery strategies in the online course excellent. Correspondingly, the students deemed the classroom climate in the online course exceptional in terms of instructor behaviors, course structure, course clarity, and student connectedness. The online course also helped them understand how evolution works through the videos and informative content and accept evolution by considering that several pieces of evidence and information support it and science and religion are not contradictory. Although the online course is good the way it is for most students, some of them provided recommendations for improvement. Overall, the students regarded the online course as recommendable because it is educational and manageable.

Connectedness within the Statistics Classroom

Background Statistics courses are a necessary component of undergraduate education, but psychology majors often have negative associations with statistics. One way to promote learning within classrooms is to promote classroom connectedness, but few studies have examined classroom connectedness using a social network paradigm. Objective The purpose of this study was to examine the degree of connectivity within the lab component of a statistics course, and test if the networks were associated with psychological constructs related to academic success, specifically, grit and resilience. Method Using descriptive network analysis and exponential random graph models (ERGMs), we examined the level of connectedness in statistics labs and whether or not students were likely to connect with each other based on sharing similar levels of grit and resilience. Results Results suggested an overall low degree of connectivity within each lab. However, in the most well-connected lab, students were more likely to connect with other students who had a dissimilar level of grit, but a similar level of resilience. Conclusion There is high variability between different student networks, although all networks were sparse. Future research could further examine the connection between student connectedness, grit and/or resilience, and how these could connect to student outcomes. Teaching implications fostering classroom connectedness could improve student learning outcomes.

Increasing International Student Connectedness in Melbourne with the Mobile App LinguaSnapp: A Pilot Study

Increasing International Student Connectedness in Melbourne with the Mobile App LinguaSnapp: A Pilot Study

Bullying, Cyberbullying and Mental Health: The Role of Student Connectedness as a School Protective Factor.

Traditional bullying and cyberbullying are linked to adverse mental health outcomes. Student connectedness has been recently identified as a potential protective factor in these relationships. Nonetheless, the multilevel nature of these interactions has been frequently overlooked. The present study pretends to fill this gap by exploring the associations between individual levels of bullying and cyberbullying and three adjustment outcomes (i.e., suicidal behavior, symptoms of depression, and self-esteem), as well as the moderating role of the school level of student connectedness on these relationships. The participants in this work were 1,774 students aged 14-18 years (M = 15.70, SD = 1.26), of which 53.7% were female, from 31 secondary schools in Spain. We used previously validated self-reported questionnaires in this study. Traditional victimization and cybervictimization, as well as cyberbullying, were positively related to suicidal behavior and depression, and were negatively related to self-esteem. Conversely, individual levels of student connectedness were associated with lower levels of suicidal behavior and depression, and with higher levels of self-esteem. Moreover, school levels of student connectedness buffered the adjustment problems experienced by victims of cyberbullying. These findings highlight the importance of student connectedness as a possible target for school-based cyberbullying prevention.

Understanding international student connectedness

In this study, we explore the concept of international student connectedness (as well as its negative congener: disconnectedness) in order to better understand how international students can develop and achieve connectedness during their study abroad, especially while impacted by COVID-19. Through a literature review and thematic analysis of recent research on the international student experience and international student connectedness—with a particular focus on the Australian context—we highlight the multidimensional nature of connectedness by identifying and bringing together five different elements of connectedness: (1) social, (2) cultural, (3) political, (4) place, and (5) translocal. This allows for a more nuanced view of the international student experience, its bases as well as its challenges, enabling stakeholders with an interest in supporting international students to consider a multidimensional approach to their engagement with this student group.

Sustaining Solutions in Undergraduate STEM Education

Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) programs that attract and sustain student interest feature learning that is experiential, investigative, hands-on, personally significant to both students and faculty, connected to other inquiries, and suggestive of practical application to students’ lives. Such learning flourishes in a community in which faculty are committed equally to teaching, to maintaining their own intellectual vitality, and to partnering with students in learning, and in which institutional support for such a community exists. The Creative Scientific Inquiry Experience (CSIE) Program at Eastern Michigan University (EMU) is involved in retaining and increasing the number of STEM graduates by including faculty professional development, student connectedness to the sciences and mathematics through academic service-learning, and curricular reform. In this conference paper we report on the success of the CSIE program, including course development, student engagement, student success, especially among underserved students, and sustainability. This work is important because it offers insight into the development, sustainability, and scalability into faculty-driven STEM education reform spanning 15 years. Keywords: STEM education, retention strategies, undergraduate STEM, majors/non-majors

Teacher-Student Incongruence in Perceptions of School Equity: Associations with Student Connectedness in Middle and High Schools.

School equity refers to the extent to which students are treated fairly, ensuring that each student receives what they need to be successful. School staff can play a vital role in creating an equitable school climate for adolescents, but little is known about how staff perceive equity in their school and how this in turn may relate to students' perceptions. This study sought to explore congruence between teacher and student perceptions of school equity and how congruence or incongruence related to students' sense of connectedness to school. Data for the study came from the Maryland Safe and Supportive Schools Climate Survey, which was administered online to 5523 school staff and 59,218 students across 104 middle and high schools. Multilevel models indicated that, compared to high staff and high student ratings, there was lower connectedness among the schools with low staff, low student ratings of equity as well as the schools with high staff, low student and low staff, high student ratings of equity. The findings suggest that staff perceptions of school equity are often higher than students and incongruence in perceptions may have a negative impact on students' connection to school.

Expert Consensus on the Development of a School-Based Intervention to Improve the School Participation and Connectedness of Elementary Students on the Autism Spectrum: A Delphi Study

School participation and connectedness have significant implications for student outcomes while at school and in later life. The need to develop evidence-based interventions to proactively support students with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is imperative. A two-round Delphi technique was used to gain expert consensus to inform the development of a school-based intervention to improve the school participation and connectedness of elementary students with ASD. Seventy-six expert clinicians, educators, and researchers completed Round 1 and 65 completed Round 2. Consensus was achieved on the application of a conceptual framework of participation in Round 1, which informed the theoretical rationale of the intervention. Consensus on the importance of proposed classroom modules and the feasibility of proposed intervention techniques was achieved in Round 2. The process of gaining expert perspectives to develop an evidence-based intervention provides greater confidence that the intervention will be effective in achieving meaningful outcomes for students with ASD.