Messages That Foster a Sense of Belonging Improve Learning and Satisfaction: An Experiment in an Online Environment

Abstract

The literature in pedagogy has shown that having a sense of belonging affects learning. This paper shows the result of a communication experiment in an online environment. For six consecutive terms, the instructor taught Introduction to Statistics. The instructor added a more direct communication strategy during two of those five terms. She used weekly communications that linked course material with events discussed by students previously and a personal message to each student. The intervention resulted in improved learning, measured by better grades, and more enjoyment of the course, measured using student comments in teaching evaluations.