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Abstract

Social connectedness among community college students plays a critical role in student retention yet can be difficult to emulate in online education. One way to increase connectedness in asynchronous courses is with discussion boards; however, the existing research is mixed about the effects of large- versus small-discussion board groups on feelings of social connectedness among students. Using a quantitative pretest-posttest control design, this exploratory study sought to understand the effects of group size on feelings of social connectedness in community college students in an online introductory social work course. Results showed that group size did not appear to influence feelings of connectedness; however, both groups showed an increase in feelings of connectedness over the course of the semester, as measured by the Online Student Connectedness Survey (OSCS). In addition, the study provided insight about student feelings of connectedness and comfort across the course of a semester and provides a foundation for future research examining social connectedness and group size among community college students.

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