Affiliations: [a] School of Library and Information Studies, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, Canada | [b] Teacher-Librarianship Education, Department of Elementary Education, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, Canada
Correspondence:
[*]
Corresponding author: Tami Oliphant, 3-04 Rutherford South, School of Library and Information Studies, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB T6G 2J4, Canada. Tel.: +1 780 492 2033; Fax: +1 780 492 2430; E-mail:toliphan@ualberta.ca
Abstract: This research explores the intersections among learners, online learning,
and the development of a sense of community by critically evaluating
Canada's first fully-online Master of Library and Information Studies (MLIS)
program at the University of Alberta. A survey with open and closed
questions was distributed to all students in the inaugural cohort (39
students who began the program in Fall 2013), which asked about the
students' experiences in the online program and their perceptions of what
facilitated and what hindered a sense of community from developing among
their cohort. Findings were analyzed using Wenger's communities of practice
and Rovai's four dimensions of classroom community. Eighty-four percent of
respondents (27 out of 32) reported that they felt a sense of community in
the online program. Factors that promoted a sense of community included
opportunities to build relationships, the program structure and content, and
the process of enculturation into the program and the profession. Factors
inhibiting a sense of community from developing included workload, other
obligations, issues regarding time such as time management, and the nature
of online learning. Implications for developing a sense of community among
online cohorts and areas for future research are discussed.
Keywords: LIS education, online student experience, sense of community
