Social isolation during the pandemic has left many college students feeling disconnected from their friends and peers. To combat this, they have turned to technology to replace in-person campus relationships.
Researchers report in Behavioral Scientist that a student’s sense that they belong at college is critical to their academic experience. Students who feel they belong are less likely to drop out, particularly first-generation students and students who have been historically underrepresented.
Even prior to the pandemic, the numbers of students who graduated were surprisingly low. Only two thirds of students at four-year colleges and one third at two-year institutions graduated. For students to thrive and graduate, colleges and universities can help students develop feelings of belonging and connection through technology.
Although technology drove the success of remote learning, it was also what created immense feelings of isolation among students. It was during this time that campus leaders realized the importance of students feeling connected and accepted among the student body.
Using Technology to Foster Student Belonging
Through the College Innovation Network, researchers have worked with colleges across the country to evaluate how technology can help build a sense of belonging and connection among students. Here are some of their findings:
Creating new virtual spaces for students is especially important for online-only students. Over a period of six weeks, students who engaged in a virtual community reported a significantly higher sense of belonging and connection to other students than those who did not engage with the virtual community. Students noted the ability to share and hear others’ stories reduced their sense of isolation during remote learning.
- Another college evaluated how a social networking app, designed to help students find peers with similar interests, helped first-year students find friends, which has been shown to improve retention.
- Creating the sense of belonging does not need to be only face to face. Technology can forge social connections when implemented into the student experience.
- Technology can also be used to establish feelings of institutional belonging where students feel valued and accepted by their institution. For example, new college application platforms allow schools to invite students to apply, so students feel they not only belong but are wanted.
- Researchers are developing a digital tool to help students navigate student support services. This is particularly impactful to first-generation students.
While technology helped create the social isolation during the pandemic, it can now be part of the antidote—helping students create a greater sense of connection to peers and feel valued by their college or university.