The Hidden Curriculum of Isolation
Hayley Connell, Julie Langan-Martin and Fiona Sim
Online study comes with a host of advantages that make it unique. This approach to learning affords students maximum flexibility around other commitments (Östlund, 2009). Students studying online may work full time, and most do, allowing them to fund their studies. The asynchronous learning environment created allows students to control their own study time, but heavily relies on a focused, self-motivated student who can succeed without the ‘typical’ degree structure and face-to face time an on-campus degree student would experience. Despite all the benefits of online learning, it can come at an institutional cost of lower student retention (Universities annual report, 2019; SCB, 2021). Furthermore, and perhaps correlated, here is a hidden reality that our students face that deserves further investigation, and this is ‘The Hidden Curriculum of Loneliness’. An element of the online curriculum that is not taught carries no assessments but arguably has as much impact on the online students’ learning experience as our taught courses.
What is the “Hidden Curriculum of Loneliness?”
The ‘Hidden Curriculum’ is an aspect of a degree programme that a student learns without explicitly being taught (Rossouw, N., & Frick, L. 2023). A lesson that is often unintended yet shapes the overall learning experience of the student. In creating a flexible asynchronous learning environment, students may inadvertently experience that learning is a solitary experience, isolating and lonely. This leads to a ‘Hidden Curriculum of Loneliness’. Our on-campus students have the opportunity to engage with staff and students informally and frequently, helping to form identity and belonging by sharing aspects of their courses that may be difficult as well as sharing more positive learning experiences. The paradox is that although online students often take part in online discussions, these are often formal and can be a challenge for online students to engage in.
Consider an online student, logging on to their course after a long day at their full-time job. Fatigue and competing family demands may impact on their ability to concentrate on an assessment that they are struggling to follow. The frustration is difficult to share with peers as the connections they have made are limited; their sense of belonging is impacted, potentially leading to loneliness. This can then lead to effects on motivation, engagement, and potentially their mental health.
Addressing the Hidden Curriculum of Loneliness
Addressing this issue by learning from our students is imperative to ensure our online students have the best academic experience and are set up to succeed. Recently, the online programmes within the School of Health and Wellbeing (SHW) have set up an informal Microsoft Teams space to encourage more informal interactions between staff and students to help create a sense of belonging. This MS Teams space included information about SHW events, recipes, photos of pets, and numerous other aspects. In total, only 14 out of 150 students engaged in the channel by ‘liking’ comments from staff. There were no student-initiated posts. The online programmes for Master of Public Health (MPH) and Masters of Global Mental Health (GMH) then sent a questionnaire to online students to further explore potential barriers to engagement. The students told us that they lacked a sense of belonging and there were themes of loneliness throughout, such as not being able to make friends; feeling like they have nothing in common (e.g. being older) and would therefore struggle to connect with other students. Some students told us they wanted to come onto campus but were nervous as they did not know anyone. There were online student specific issues such as time zone and work-life balance, however the themes around belonging and loneliness were clear and worrying. So how do we help our online students and address the curriculum of loneliness?
Next steps….
To address the issue, we must accept the existence of the hidden curriculum of loneliness and reshape online learning to include important aspects of connection and belonging. To provide opportunities for online students to share experiences and challenges, talk to staff informally, and extend past their solitary learning environment. The MPH and GMH programme plan to further investigate our online students’ feelings of belonging and loneliness and how this impacts their mental health with scholarship. We have launched another team’s channel, this time in collaboration with the on-campus students to try and strengthen their connection. In addition, we will invite our students to attend focus groups and interviews to tell us how we can shape their programme to support their success, ensuring they feel supported, tackle feelings of loneliness and importantly ensure that they feel a sense of belonging.
References
Berlin Kolm, S., Gustavsson, T., & Stening, E. (Eds.). (2019). Universities annual report. University Chancellor’s Office – Universitets Kansler Ämbetet UKÄ. https://gamla.uka.se/download/18.c013a3016af7e05c3d5da/1559032171843/UKA%CC%88%20a%CC%8Arsrapport%202019_web.pdf
SCB. (2021). Higher education. Throughput at first and second cycle studies up to and including 2019/20. SCB & UKÄ. https://www.scb.se/publikation/43392
Östlund, B. (2009). Women and men in computer-mediated distance learning– an exploratory study on conditions for distance learning based on male and female students’ own descriptions. Nordic Journal of Digital Literacy, 4(1), 48–64. https://doi.org/10.18261/ISSN1891-943X-2009-01-05
Rossouw, N., & Frick, L. (2023). A conceptual framework for uncovering the hidden curriculum in private higher education. Cogent Education, 10(1). https://doi.org/10.1080/2331186X.2023.2191409
Belonging Beyond the Classroom: Cultivating Community in a Global MSc Programme
Leah Martin
A larger version of the poster is accessible here
Festive video
Lead editor: Shaun Bremner-Hart
Editors: Louise Sheridan, Colin Mack & Edward Beggan