Sense of community and learning outcomes in computer supported collaborative learning environments

While computer supported collaborative learning (CSCL) environments offer a variety of benefits, learners’ isolation and lack of sense of community are emerging as key pitfalls for effectiveness of such environments and therefore, deserve more thoughts and explorations in future development efforts. The main objective of this study is therefore, to examine the relationship between sense of community and learning outcome in computer supported collaborative learning environments. Learning outcome has been defined as a multiple variable consisting of pedagogical affect, student interest, and perceived learning. This paper has firstly performed an exploratory factor analysis on a sample of post graduate students in an Australian postgraduate CSCL environment. The results revealed sense of cohesion and awareness of others are two underlying constructs of sense of community. Next, the findings of this paper have shown a strong relationship between sense of cohesion and awareness of others with learning outcome variables. The paper has then discussed practical and theoretical implications of the findings.