Top picks for September 2024: Towards a sense of belonging
What does ‘belonging’ mean for our diverse student body, especially post-pandemic?
The 2024 Learning & Teaching Survey reveals that only 38.8% of our students feel a sense of belonging. Here are resources to help us reflect on belonging in our teaching and learning practices.
Listen, watch and learn
University Belonging: Engaging College Students Over Time and at Different Types of Campuses
If you’re in the mood to watch and learn, check out this 30-minute Lunch & Learn episode by U-Thrive Educational Services. A/P in Educational Psychology, Nidia Ruedas-Gracia, explores the meaning of ‘belonging’, how it evolves, and ways to help students build meaningful connections with their university. Also browse through other U-Thrive Lunch & Learn episodes, including on supporting students post-COVID and using positive psychology in the classroom.
Students’ Sense of Belonging Matters: Evidence from Three Studies
Dr Maithreyi Gopalan’s presentation at MIT’s Teaching + Learning Lab explores ‘belonging uncertainty’ and its impact on academic success and well-being. Watch the video and read the blog post for strategies to foster a more inclusive environment.
Teaching in Higher Ed podcast series
If you struggle to carve out time for reading, try listening to podcasts. The Teaching in Higher Ed podcast has several episodes that explore fostering a sense of belonging, inclusivity, and student well-being in various learning environments. Notable episodes include “Fostering a Sense of Belonging,” “From Weeding Out to Belonging,” and “How Mattering Matters.”
CRADLE Seminar Series 2023 #10: The politics of student belonging: storying through words and images
For a deeper theoretical dive, explore Deakin University’s seminar on student belonging, emphasising its personalised and political nature in higher education. Drawing on interviews and vlogs with students in the UK and Australia, the research highlights the importance of critical discussions between staff and students to embrace diverse and meaningful connections, challenging institutional assumptions.
Creating Learning Environments to Support Student Motivation Post-Pandemic
Professor Carlton Fong’s presentation at MIT’s Teaching + Learning Lab offers insights on creating supportive learning environments to boost students’ sense of belonging. A key strategy is giving students choices in their learning experiences and assessments. While you’re at MIT’s Teaching + Learning Lab, check out their tips for enhancing academic belonging in students.
Simple ways to develop a sense of belonging
This 8-minute video from UQ’s Institute for Teaching and Learning Innovation features Cecilia Chiu sharing techniques to foster a sense of belonging and connection among students, especially in large classes. Additionally, UQ is running the Translating Belonging project, which aims to collect information about approaches teaching staff use to foster a sense of belonging in their courses.
Relationships, learning, and belonging at university
UNSW Sydney eLearning’s presentation by Professor Peter Felten discusses relationship-rich experiences at university to ensure every student feels welcomed and inspired to learn. Drawing on over 400 interviews, he presents scalable and equitable strategies to foster a sense of belonging and motivation, making this an essential resource for teaching staff. He also shares his personal hacks for finding meaningful connections and the right mindset in online teaching environments.
Read and reflect
Studiosity 2023 Australian and New Zealand Student Wellbeing Survey
The report highlights the crucial role of peer support and the need for more student interaction. With two-thirds of students wanting more peer connections, there’s a clear call for programs that build these relationships.
The Haunted Academy: A Whakapapa Approach to Understanding Māori Doctoral Student Belonging in Aotearoa Universities
Discover how whakapapa can transform the sense of belonging for Māori doctoral students in a predominantly Pākehā-normative environment. Be inspired to learn some practical ways how one could integrate Māori cultural practices into teaching to create a more inclusive and supportive academic community.
Belonging
Classroom Practices Library: ‘Belonging’ by The Indiana University Equity Accelerator
The Indiana University Equity Accelerator offers practice sheets addressing student belonging issues. Developed by interdisciplinary experts, the resources provide practical approaches like ‘Encouraging connections in the classroom’ and ‘Creating a belonging story’ to enhance student engagement and belonging.
Belonging in Higher Education: A Twenty-Year Systematic Review
The paper from the Journal of University Teaching & Learning Practice synthesizes findings from 33 international studies into four themes: connectedness, safety, acceptance, and inclusion. The review, whose lead author is from Monash University, offers valuable insights and practical approaches to enhance student engagement and well-being.
Building student ‘Belonging’
The blog post on the HE Advance website seeks to understand the evolving landscape of student belonging, while highlighting its crucial role in higher education, and retention, engagement, and mental health. The article tackles the challenges of fostering belonging at the course level and advocates for a holistic, institution-wide approach. The post also reflects on the pandemic’s impact and the need for innovative strategies to rebuild community.
Alliant Center for
Teaching Excellence
Cultivating a Sense of Belonging and Building Rapport
Part of Alliant International University’s Resources of Teaching, the brief yet insightful webpage offers practical tips on how teachers can enhance students’ sense of belonging and build rapport through small interactions.
Exploring the Complexity of First-Year Student Belonging in Higher Education
This study by researchers from Massey University and the University of the Sunshine Coast delves into how first-year students experience belonging. The study highlights the importance of academic belonging for perseverance.
Pastoral Care in Education
From collusion to collective compassion: Putting heart back into the neoliberal university
Published in Pastoral Care in Education by University of Auckland’s Carol Mutch and Jennifer Tatebe, the article offers strategies focussed on collective compassion and teamwork in teaching to counter the stressful, competitive environments created by neoliberal policies. Such approaches help foster a more inclusive and supportive atmosphere, enhancing everyone’s sense of belonging.
Studies in Higher Education
When Artificial Intelligence Substitutes Humans in Higher Education: The Cost of Loneliness, Student Success, and Retention
With AI tools becoming more common, what impact does this have on students’ sense of belonging? This article by Joseph Crawford and colleagues from Australian universities explores the paradox of AI in higher education. While AI can connect us, it can also lead to feelings of alienation and loneliness. Perhaps, everyone’s wellbeing and sense of belonging is at stake if, in our looming hi-tech ed future, we don’t strike the right balance between technology and the human touch.