| This study explored a sense of community in online classrooms to ascertain if a difference existed as a function of learners' age, gender, previous online experience, academic field of study, or persistence in taking another online class. The instrument used in the study was Rovai's (2002b) Classroom Community Survey (CCS) and five additional descriptive questions. The participants in the study were 471 graduate-level online learners in academic fields of education and business who attended a private university in Phoenix, Arizona between August 2004 and December 2004. The study found there was insufficient evidence to conclude a difference existed in learners' perceived sense of community as a function of gender, age, or previous online experience. The study found there was sufficient evidence to conclude a difference existed in learners' perceived sense of community as a function of academic field of study. Further, the study found there was sufficient evidence to conclude a difference existed in learners' perceived sense of community and intention to register or persistence. The results of this research yield information and insights for higher education administrators, online educational leaders, and faculty regarding designing and developing courses for the online environment in terms of building community in the online classroom. A high perception of online community may lead to satisfied, persistent students. Satisfied, persistent students may lead to increased retention, which may lead to graduation and a positive impact on the institution's bottom line. The study concludes with recommendations for future studies. |
