Learning and Sense of Community: A Comparative Analysis of African American and Caucasian Online Graduate Students

Journal of Negro Education, The, Winter 2005 by Rovai, Alfred P, Gallien, Louis B Jr

This study addressed how four variables used to operationalize learning and sense of community differed between African American and Caucasian students enrolled in an online graduate course. Participants (N = 97) from two sections of the course were sampled. African American students were in the minority in the mixed African American and Caucasian section, while the other section consisted of only African Americans. The results revealed that on the four outcomes measured by the study, the African American only section of the course and the Caucasian students in the mixed section represented a homogeneous subset, while the African American students in the mixed section scored lower, on average, on all four variables.

INTRODUCTION

Distance education is already a pervasive element of higher education, and it continues to rapidly expand (Walts & Lewis, 2003). The Internet is the favorite medium of colleges and universities for delivering such courses. This anytime, anywhere delivery of courses by computer networks, known as Asynchronous Learning Networks, or ALNs, has become a viable alternative for students who either cannot or choose not to travel to campuses to attend traditional class meetings.

Characteristics of a successful, online student include being self-motivated, independent, a self-directed learner, a critical thinker, a good time manager, a highly organized individual, and computer literate (Irizarry, 2002). Additionally, Tinto (1993), writing about higher education in general, argued that insufficient interactions of students with peers and faculty and differences with the prevailing value patterns of other students are likely to result in student anxiety. Students who feel they do not fit in are likely to have a low sense of community, feel isolated, and are at-risk of becoming dropouts.

Since distance education has burgeoned over the past decade, studies that explore issues of differences in learning between traditional and non-traditional students are now coming to the forefront. However, there have been few studies that have centered on race-related impediments to achieving academic success and generating a strong sense of community in ALN environments. Since many higher education programs are now delivered at a distance, an examination of the differences in learning and sense of community of African Americans to their majority Caucasian counterparts is relevant to the goal of providing culturally responsive, fair, and equitable online learning. This goal is particularly relevant given the problem widely reported by researchers and the media of the academic underperformance of many minority students, to include African Americans, in traditional learning environments (e.g., Allen, 1988, 1992; Boykin, 1986; Hammer, 2003; Kozol, 1991). Research is required to determine if the achievement gap by race extends to ALN programs and, if so, to identify ways to help close this gap.

REVIEW OF LITERATURE

Snowman, Biehler, and Bonk (2000) defined learning as a change in one's capability or knowledge. Approaches to learning that promote social constructivism, or learning within a social context, and that feature active group construction of knowledge, rather than transfer of knowledge, provide ideal learning environments. Vygotsky (1978) argued that all cognitive functions must be explained as products of social interactions and that learning is not simply the accumulation of new knowledge by learners; it is the process by which learners are integrated into a knowledge community. Learning is therefore viewed as a function of the activity, context, and culture in which it occurs, and cognition must take account of social interaction and work (Brown, Collins, & Duguid, 1989). Consequently, learning has important social and cognitive dimensions and occurs most effectively when there is a strong sense of community. Brookfield (1990) reported that students often pointed to the sense of community that existed within their classes when asked to name the most critical factor in surviving a challenging educational experience.

Despite the existence of a large body of literature on sense of community, there is no universally accepted definition of the term. However, the professional literature contains several useful descriptions, including an often quoted definition by McMillan and Chavis (1986). They defined sense of community as "a feeling that members have of belonging, a feeling that members matter to one another and to the group, and a shared faith that members ' needs will be met through their commitment to be together" (p. 9). Sense of community provides a sense of belonging, identity, emotional connection, and well-being.

Rheingold (2000) identified the need for extensive research in a variety of contexts to fully understand sense of community. He believed that the components of community differ from setting to setting suggesting that sense of community is setting specific. One such setting is the classroom, traditional or virtual, which is the focus of the present study. Drawing on the descriptions of community from the professional literature (e.g., McMillan & Chavis, 1986; Rheingold, 2000; Rovai, 2002), one can theorize that members of classroom communities should have feelings of belonging, trust, safety, participation, and support. They should believe that they matter to one another and to the group; that they have duties and obligations to each other and to the school; and that they possess a shared faith that members' educational needs will be met through their commitment to shared goals.