Participate and share: Interactive session 
The purpose of this session is to provide attendees with strategies for developing a sense of belonging among learners in online & hybrid learning spaces. We’ll discuss the Community of Inquiry framework as a reflective tool for considering how we’re showing up in our learning spaces and how we’re inviting students to show up in those spaces as well. The presenters will share specific examples of ways in which they've used edtech tools to cultivate belonging among learners in online and hybrid learning environments, and attendees will have the opportunity to crowd-source their experiences and expertise through a Mentimeter backchannel during the session. At the end of the session, attendees will also contribute to a shared collection of resources for building belonging curated on Wakelet.
Session Objectives:
Participants will...
- reflect on the value and importance of designing learning spaces that center belonging.
- explore the Community of Inquiry framework as a reflective decision-making tool for building online learning spaces that cultivate belonging.
- examine instructional design strategies and activities that cultivate belonging in online learning spaces.
- engage in collaborative conversations around their own practices related to this topic.
1. 5 minutes - Presenter introductions and introduction to the session
2. 5 minutes - Exploring the "Why" - Introduction to the topic and Mentimeter backchannel to gauge attendee experience with this topic
3. 5 minutes - Introducing the Community of Inquiry Framework and how it informs our work
4. 15 minutes - Cultivating Belonging from the Start - Presenters will share specific strategies and examples of how we can facilitate start-of-course activities and build online learning spaces with belonging in mind. Attendees will share their own ideas, strategies, and reflections through a Mentimeter backchannel.
5. 10 minutes - Maintaining Belonging over Time - Presenters will share specific strategies and examples of how we can maintain a sense of belonging among students and model inclusive behaviors in online learning spaces with fidelity. Attendees will share their own ideas, strategies, and reflections through a Mentimeter backchannel.
6. 10 minutes - Participants will collaboratively curate resources related to this session topic on a shared Wakelet page accessed through a QR code. During this time we will also provide questions for peer-to-peer discussion among attendees.
7. 5 minutes - Questions & Closing comments from presenters; attendees will be asked to share their closing reflections and takeaways through the Mentimeter backchannel.
Boudreau, E. (2020, April 1). A place of (remote) belonging: How educators can create a welcoming classroom community during distance learning. Harvard Graduate School of Education. https://www.gse.harvard.edu/news/uk/20/04/place-remote-belonging
Cleveland-Innes, M., Gauvreau, S., Richardson, G., Mishra, S., & Ostashewski, N. (2019). Technology-enabled learning and the benefits and challenges of using the Community of Inquiry theoretical framework. International Journal of E-Learning & Distance Education, 34(1). http://www.ijede.ca/index.php/jde/article/view/1108/1733
Garrison, D. R., Anderson, T., & Archer, W. (2010). The first decade of the community of inquiry framework: A retrospective. The Internet and Higher Education, 13(1-2), 5-9.
Thomas, L., & Herbert, J. (2014, August 25). 'Sense of belonging' enhances the online learning experience. The Conversation. https://theconversation.com/sense-of-belonging-enhances-the-online-learning-experience-30503
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