Social Connectedness in Physical Isolation: Online Teaching Practices That Support Minoritized Undergraduate Students' Belongingness and Engagement in STEM

• In Event: Postsecondary Science Teaching and Learning

Abstract

The COVID-19 outbreak spurred unplanned closures and transitions to online classes. Physical environments that once fostered social interaction and community have been rendered inactive. We examined undergraduate STEM students’ feelings of social connectedness, interest, and engagement while in physical isolation and identified online teaching modes associated with these feelings. Surveys from a racially diverse group of 43 undergraduate students revealed that interactive synchronous instruction was positively associated with feelings of interest and belonging, particularly for students of color, while noninteractive instruction had the opposite relation. Curiously, asynchronous individual assignments were associated with negative emotions but also greater cognitive engagement and interest. Findings reflect the complexity of interpersonal interaction yet reaffirm that live interaction supports feelings of belonging for minoritized groups.

Authors

• Ian Thacker, University of Texas - San Antonio

• Viviane Seyranian, California State Polytechnic University - Pomona

• Nicole Duong, California State Polytechnic University - Pomona

• Paul Beardsley, California State Polytechnic University - Pomona