Response to: Further evidence for curricular influence on student connectedness

Online instruction has been approached with caution by nursing. Concerns range from unfamiliarity with online pedagogy to the potential for decreased student connectedness. Being unfamiliar with the online format can be overcome through a series of self-training, taking courses online, and dedication to the process. Student connectedness is basic to nursing and a caring and compassionate profession. It has been argued that an online format will create an atmosphere of disconnectedness and isolation. To combat this disconnectedness and isolation, an atmosphere of caring is required in the online classroom. This article considers the basics of both creating an atmosphere of caring and concepts that support the online pedagogy. Caring is the essence of nursing and should be conveyed in the instruction of nurses. Online instruction can facilitate a caring atmosphere, when done properly, and promote growth for student nurses. Grounding this notion is a brief discussion of various nursing concepts and theories on caring, and how the key elements of some of these theories relate directly to the outcomes of online instruction. In addition to the concept of caring and relating this to online instruction, a connection to the supporting concepts of trust and professional nurse autonomy are intimately connecting to caring and online instruction. This connection illustrates the foundational results of online instruction and how these are indeed the same elements of the concept of caring.

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Connectedness Needs of External Doctoral Students

Outlooks and Opportunities in Blended and Distance Learning - Advances in Mobile and Distance Learning ◽

10.4018/978-1-4666-4205-8.ch023 ◽

2013 ◽

pp. 316-329 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Ronel Erwee ◽

Peter R. Albion ◽

Luke van der Laan

Keyword(s):

Doctoral Students ◽

Factor Structure ◽

High Reliability ◽

Learning Experience ◽

American Study ◽

Attrition Rates ◽

Student Connectedness ◽

Communication Challenges ◽

Supervision Strategies ◽

Three Factor

Institutional concern about attrition rates of doctoral students raises the question of whether these students withdraw from a program due to perceptions of a lack of connectedness to supervisors, peers or for other reasons. The Doctoral Student Connectedness Scale was incorporated into a study of communication challenges faced by 41external doctoral students in two faculties of an Australian university. A three-factor structure of connectedness needs emerged, namely a student-to-student connectedness, a student-to-faculty connectedness, and a student-to-supervisor connectedness. Although the scale has a high reliability, the factor structure in this Australian study is more complex than in the American study from which the scale derives. The results indicate that there may be less than desirable levels of connectedness between students, their supervisors and peers. Interventions may be developed to offer external doctoral students a more complete learning experience through enhancing the teaching and supervision strategies of supervisors.

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