Community Building in Online Doctoral Programs: A Case Study

Document Type

Poster

Conference Title

American Educational Research Association Annual Meeting

Organization

American Educational Research Association

Location

Washington, D.C.

Conference Dates

April 8-12, 2016

Date of Presentation

4-10-2016

Abstract

Nearly 1/4 of graduate students enroll in online degree programs, despite attrition rates between 25 and 50% (Burnsed, 2011). A sense of community can serve as a protective factor against attrition (Rovai, 2002). This exploratory case study examines how doctoral students create community during their first year of an online program. Preliminary findings indicate that a highly structured program with co-curricular experiences, instructors that were engaging and made skillful use of technology and student’s intentional efforts to connect with peers were associated with a sense of community.

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