Othering in online learning: an examination of social presence, identity, and sense of community

Fostering a strong sense of community among students in online courses is the goal of many instructors because it is seen as being essential in supporting students' learning experiences. However, high dropout rates in online learning suggest that students feel disconnected and isolated from their course, feelings which have been attributed to the physical separation of students from each other and the instructor. Through in-depth semi-structured interviews, we explored how six graduate students from different institutions enrolled in varying online courses were othered in online learning. Open and focused coding of the interviews identified three categories of other status for our participants - professional, academic, and ethnic - each of which contributed to feelings of disconnection and isolation when learning online.