Fostering the process of belonging online through teaching and learning interactions

Authors

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.53761/p6wny396

Keywords:

higher education, belonging, teaching, connection, first year students

Abstract

There is an established relationship between teaching and learning practices and the drive to foster belonging in Australian universities towards improved student success and retention. This qualitative grounded theory study examined the experiences of first year students and teaching staff in ICT (Information Communication Technology) to develop a process of belonging online in higher education. We found belonging is fostered by connecting interactions online through signalling practices. Drawing on this process, this paper outlines the associated principles of fostering belonging in teaching and learning. These principles are: developing signalling skills, catering for signalling preferences, proactive adjusting and matching, providing opportunities through understanding students signalling preferences, and signalling for belonging and retention. Each principle aligns with known elements of belonging in online learning environments, such as interactivity and communication. The principles make a significant contribution to online teaching and learning in ICT by proposing easy to implement online pedagogical practices that foster belonging processes for diverse students, to support their retention and success.

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Author Biographies

  • Karla Coutts, Deakin University, Australia

    An academic developer and recipient of a university Vice-Chancellor Award for Teaching Excellence, with interests in student agency and fostering safe, meaningful and productive student experiences through teaching practice. A grounded theorist PhD candidate examining student belonging when studying online in higher education utilising a symbolic interactionist lens.

  • Dr Elicia Lanham, Deakin University, Australia

    Elicia Lanham is the Associate Head of School, Strategy and Engagment, in the School of Information Technology at Deakin University, where she has demonstrated her ability to communicate learning and teaching best practice. She is a member of the Immersive Technologies Lab and is a Senior Fellow of Advance HE.  Elicia’s research focuses on educational technologies, online and blended learning environments, and student engagement.

  • Dr Sophie Mckenzie, Deakin University, Australia

    Sophie McKenzie is a senior lecturer. She contributes nationally to the scholarship of teaching and learning in higher education in Australia, specifically in the area of online learning and career development learning and employability.  Sophie's research directly explores the background and developmental need of students’ career development during their time in higher education. Sophie also conducts research into the design and use of creative and immersive technologies including augmented and virtual reality and video games, with a specific focus on user perceptions with regards to technical interventions, mobile game development and serious gaming. 

  • Professor Jane Mills, La Trobe University, Australia

    Pro Vice Chancellor Health Innovation (Regional) and Dean, La Trobe Rural Health School. An internationally recognised grounded theorist, in the past decade wrote the popular text, Grounded Theory: a practical guide, which has furthered the development of fundamental grounded theory methods of theoretical coding and storyline analysis. The original text has over 5000 citations and has been reprinted several times since its publication in 2011.

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Published

2026-01-27

Data Availability Statement

The data contains sensitive material and is not available for public access.

Issue

Online First

Section

Student Experience

License

Copyright (c) 2026 Karla Coutts, Dr Elicia Lanham, Dr Sophie Mckenzie, Professor Jane Mills

Creative Commons License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.

How to Cite

Fostering the process of belonging online through teaching and learning interactions. (2026). Journal of University Teaching and Learning Practice. https://doi.org/10.53761/p6wny396