Creating Belonging in a Changing World: Moves to Refashion the Higher Education Context by Making Space Online for Inclusion, Care, and Connectedness

Abstract

During the lockdown, while the online delivery of the curriculum was prioritised in ‘saving’ the academic year within higher education, little published literature reported on how lecturers can connect with students emotionally within the virtual space. The online environment can be developed to establish a connection between the students and the lecturer, thereby creating a space of belonging for undergraduates. The affective domain is linked to academic success. This study shows how the online space can establish a sense of trust between the lecturer and students, and how this space supports students to express any vulnerabilities, in the emotional and academic sense. Activities designed by the lecturer were provided weekly, online, over six weeks for a class of 522 first-year biology students. Students voluntarily responded and the lecturer provided follow-up and feedback each week to connect with students in a social space and provide support for their cognitive development. When lecturers create a space for belonging in first years, students are more open to the communication of their cognitive needs.