Universities have renewed interest in blended learning in preparation for post-COVID education. However, unsatisfactory social interactions hinder the quality of blended learning, despite its potential for flexible and personalized learning. In this situation, a sense of community would provide essential academic and social benefits. To develop a…

Students' social belonging in a general chemistry course has been shown to predict academic performance in that course. Additionally, students' social belonging at the beginning of a general chemistry course has been shown to differ across demographics, such as gender. This social belonging exists as both an absolute sense of belonging in the…

This experience paper recounts the research and outcomes of applying a modified professional learning community (PLC) to a pre-service teacher education course. The purpose of applying the PLC to the pre-service teacher education course was to increase community amongst students participating in a HyFlex classroom. In a HyFlex classroom, students…

Universities have increased the number of fully or partially online courses they offer to meet students' family, work-life, and academic needs. As a result of this shift, the HyFlex learning paradigm, which provides hybrid and flexible learning options, has gained traction in academia in recent years. The COVID-19 pandemic has altered the…

The HyFlex learning model has gained popularity in recent years and, with the outbreak of COVID-19, the demand has increased. However, there are challenges associated with the model, especially related to equity and engagement. A HyFlex model known as Interactive Synchronous HyFlex is being developed and practised by the researchers in their…

Millions of students experienced increased levels of stress and worries about their college pursuits as they were forced to abrupt pivot to online and hybrid learning due to the global pandemic. Drawing from the theory of human needs, this study examined the extent to which COVID-19 influenced the relationship between financial well-being, needs…

The COVID-19 pandemic substantially disrupted normal operations at liberal arts colleges (LACs) across the United States, as well as the lives and educational trajectories of their undergraduate students. This dissertation collected data from 775 undergraduate LAC students enrolled in two colleges in the U.S. South during the spring 2021 semester…

McMillan and Chavis (1986) defined a psychological sense of community (PSC) as feelings of influence, membership, integration, and shared emotional connection. The importance of PSC to graduate student success has been established, but to date, no one has examined the extent to which PSC predicts student thriving when data is disaggregated by…

COVID-19 had an unprecedented impact on daily living and resulted in many restrictions across all areas of life. Consequently, educational establishments in the UK adapted teaching delivery by moving to online or blended learning during the main 'stay at home' phase and many remained online as ongoing restrictions were announced. Many changes made…

Aim/Purpose: This article seeks answers to the following--(1) What describes a 'sense of belonging', inclusiveness, and well-being for students? (2) Which aspects of blended learning, synchronous and asynchronous, promote students' 'sense of belonging'? and (3) What are the state-of-the-art best practices for creating inclusive curriculum design…

This is a phenomenological case study of teachers at an independent high school in New England during the COVID era. It includes analysis of their recollections of their experiences during the emergency remote shutdown in 2020, and also of their experiences during the 2020-2021 school year, in which they worked under a difficult and complicated…

College is a time of increased stress and anxiety. The current changes in attendance and methods of instruction due to COVID-19 have demonstrated even higher levels of stress, anxiety, and mental health issues. Tailoring interventions to the specific needs of a campus community has been proposed as an appropriate means to the current crisis. This…

The problem that was the focus of this qualitative case study was the lack of identification of college students' perceptions how participation in community of inquiry (CoI) influenced self-efficacy, motivation, and student relationships in developmental blended courses during the COVID-19 pandemic. The purpose of this qualitative case study was…

COVID-19 affected various aspects of our life. Many college students were forced to take courses remotely. It was not clear how they adapted to this new environment and how their mental health was affected. The objective of this study is to understand college students' learning experience one year after the outbreak of COVID-19. An online survey…

Several of the key measures in this year's Student Academic Experience Survey have moved in a positive direction, but these movements have tended to be relatively small. Value-for-money perceptions have improved, but not statistically significantly, while there has been no change in the proportion who would choose the same course and institution…