Sense of community

Representing authentic learning designs supporting the development of online communities of learners

“…These include a feeling of belonging to a group (membership), a feeling of influence within the group, fulfilment of needs and a shared emotional connection with other members. These elements are present at varying levels in different community settings, although shared emotional connection is considered the definitive element of true community (McMillan, 1996).…”

“…Participation in collaborative activities needs to be high from the outset, culminating in the group tasks and publishing of group products and instructional design plans. It is clear that an educational community such as the one described here generally has, by default, in the nature of its assessment items, a significant purpose for all participants (McMillan, 1996).…”

The Differential Salience of Family and Community Demands and Resources for Family-to-Work Conflict and Facilitation

“…They incorporate the three aspects of community life considered in relation to community demands, i.e., the community as a whole, the neighborhood as geographic community, and friends as a primary group. McMillan and Chavis (1986) state that sense of community consists of four inter-related elements: feeling of belonging, the sense that the individual and the group matter to each other, the feeling that members' needs will be met through group resources, and a shared history. Attitudinal neighborhood attachment is associated with neighborhood ties, trust, pride, and satisfaction (Woldoff, 2002).…”

Applying collaborative and e-learning tools to military distance learning: A research framework

“…In terms of membership, a sense of belonging, community boundaries, identity, and personal investment all contribute to 30 membership in a community. Membership also tends to create a sense of cognitive dissonance associated with one's responsibility to sacrifice for the community, thereby enhancing member confidence, sense of entitlement, and loyalty to the group (McMillan, 1996). The second key factor, influence, may include influencing the community as well as being influenced by it.…”

“…What does an online learning community do? What are the key principles that help create a sense of learning community (Barab & Duffy, 2000;McMillan, 1996;Schwier, 1999)? Schwier argues that electronic learning environments too often fail to develop a community of learners.…”