Abstract
As colleges and universities increase their online course offerings, student social experiences in online learning environments require further examination, specifically for nonresidential students who may already be less integrated into college social networks. A social capital framework was used to guide this qualitative study of 17 nonresidential students and two faculty from two regional campuses of a public Midwestern university. Student participants reported different experiences in online courses compared to face-to-face (FTF) courses, expressly reporting the development of fewer friendships in their online courses, a lack of a sense of community, and an increase in the mechanical nature of their online course interactions. Participants described spontaneous interactions and physical presence as benefits to FTF classrooms over online classrooms. Addressing these issues will require a review of practices, processes, attitudes, and expectations.
Recommended Citation
Mays, Thomas
(2016)
"Social Capital in Online Courses,"
Mid-Western Educational Researcher: Vol. 28:
Iss.
2, Article 5.
Available at:
https://scholarworks.bgsu.edu/mwer/vol28/iss2/5
