Belonging Online

An interesting video recording of the session by David White (at the Edmedia conference held in July 2021) on Belonging Online: What We Lost When We Went Digital and How to Design It Back In which explores ways of making learners feel present, belonging, safe, and talks about the different ways this works in digital and physical spaces. It's at https://www.learntechlib.org/primary/view/219628/
The abstract was: "Ask any student what they have been missing in their education during the pandemic and their answer will have a social, or ‘belonging’, dimension to it. This is because we successfully used digital platforms to ‘deliver the curriculum’ but struggled to create the sense of togetherness which occurs in physical rooms. In this talk I will use the Digital Visitors and Residents idea to explore modes-of-presence and connection which are often missing in online education. I will argue that this ‘lack’ is more to do with our narrow conceptions of what-teaching-is than with what-the-technology-allows. I will go on to describe creative forms of teaching in digital contexts which facilitate the presence and belonging needed for understanding and confidence to flourish." Information on the visitor/residents model is here: http://daveowhite.com/vandr/ I also liked his point that we should think of "modes of presence" and designing-in different modes of presence into your teaching and learning.
Photo by Sheila Webber: looking up from the bear pit, Sheffield, July 2021