Technology-Enhanced Peer Learning Communities: Investigating Social Capital Formation in Online Doctoral Education

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Abstract

Online doctoral programs experience 57% attrition rates, with isolation as the primary factor. This mixed-methods study investigated how Technology-Enhanced Peer Learning Communities (TE-PLCs) using multiple platforms (Padlet, Perusall, Google Workspace) foster scholarly community formation. Fifty-four graduate students in an 8-week action research course participated. Quantitative analysis revealed rapid network densification and significant improvements in research self-efficacy. Qualitative findings identified platform-specific affordances: Padlet for social presence, Perusall for cognitive presence, Google Docs for distributed teaching presence. Social network analysis documented four developmental phases from surface affirmation to scholarly community. First-generation and geographically isolated students showed greatest benefits. The multi-platform approach created compound effects exceeding single-platform solutions, offering an evidence-based model for reducing online doctoral attrition through strategic technology integration.

Author

• Lei Wang, Auburn University - Montgomery