“…12, Special Issue, jotlt.indiana.edu Research has shown that students who establish a strong sense of belonging in online courses tend to exhibit superior academic performance, greater retention in their chosen field of study, and heightened enjoyment coupled with reduced anxiety (Brodie & Osowska, 2021;Edwards et al, 2022). Conversely, feelings of alienation in online classrooms can negatively impact knowledge sharing intention, the quality of assistance provided, and the level of social support (Liu & Zhang, 2020;Jeng et al, 2023). In light of these findings, it is clear that we need to harness technology's potential to foster connections among students in the virtual classroom.…”