Exploring the relationship between attitude towards collaborative learning and sense of community among college students in online learning environments: a correlational study

Abstract

<p>As online courses become increasingly common, we must ensure that the students in the virtual classroom experience a nurturing sense of community. Feelings of community increase information flow, cooperation, available support, and a sense of commitment towards group goals. Many studies have explored the significance of sense of community and collaborative learning activities in an online learning environment. The aim of this study, however, was to find a relationship between student attitude toward online collaborative learning and their sense of community in an online environment.</p> <p>Using a correlational study, the relationship between students' sense of community and their attitude toward online collaborative learning was determined. Collaboration and sense of community were moderately correlated, whereas, Pearson's product-moment correlational coefficient was, r(198)=0.672, p<0.01. As collaboration increased, students' sense of community increased proportionally. Moreover, it was also noticed that the degree of correlation between sense of community and collaborative learning was higher among graduate students when compared to that of undergraduate students. Furthermore, a higher degree of correlation also existed between a positive attitude towards collaborative learning and the dimensions of sense of community when compared to that between a negative attitude towards collaborative learning and sense of community.</p> <p>The findings in this study will aid educators and instructional designers to rethink the design of their online courses to incorporate elements of collaborative learning and strategies to develop a sense of community, which, in turn will help in increasing the learner satisfaction and learning outcomes in such courses.</p>