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Constructing a Radical Community: Disrupting the Dichotomy of the Alone Together Paradox in Online Doctoral Students

Mon, April 20, 2:15 to 3:45pm, Virtual Room

Abstract

Online learning is often associated with the together alone paradox which suggests that online students are constantly connected to one another yet feel more alone due to a lack of ‘real’ connection. Recent research however suggests that online students are part of complex online ecologies that are both sustaining and nurturing. In this paper we explore the findings from a case study of one online doctoral program in educational leadership.  25 students participated in the study, which included in-depth interviews and photo-elicitations discussing diagrams of online ecologies. The study revealed that students were more likely to view themselves as “apart, but together” rather than “together and alone”; students also challenged the idea that authentic interactions could only be had face-to-face.

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