Abstract

This study examined sense of community in two university distance-education programs that differed only in the amount of face-to-face contact. The "Sense of Classroom Community Index", second edition (SCCI2), was used to measure community in 38 graduate students who were pursuing a doctorate in education. Multivariate analysis of variance and post hoc discriminant analysis procedures showed that community was stronger in the program that provided learners more and diverse opportunities to interact with each other and that the most important community components in which the groups differed were spirit and trust. Research results lend support to Cutler's [(1996). Technologies, relations, and selves. In: L. Strate, R. Jacobson, & S. B. Gibson (Eds.), Communication and cyberspace: social interaction in an electronic environment (pp. 317–333). Cresskill, NJ: Hampton Press.] hypothesis that socialization can lead to greater feelings of trust and satisfaction which, in turn, lead to a greater sense of community.

Citation

Rovai, A.P. (2001). Classroom community at a distance: A comparative analysis of two ALN-based university programs. Internet and Higher Education, 4(2), 105-118. Elsevier Ltd. Retrieved July 3, 2022 from https://www.learntechlib.org/p/96537/.

Keywords

• asynchronous learning networks
• community
• Comparative Analysis
• distance education
• Graduate Study
• interaction
• Interpersonal Relationship
• learning
• multivariate analysis
• Socialization
• Spirit
• trust