Nursing Students Desire to Belong in Online Learning Environments. Part 1: A Mixed-Methods Study

In early 2020, the declaration of the COVID-19 pandemic caused an immediate shift from traditional in-person classroom delivery to online delivery in some schools and programs to ensure the continuity of education. Many universities and colleges in Canada and around the globe with traditional in-person or hybrid formats, experienced drastic changes to teaching modalities, with most transitioning to fully online delivery in an effort to lessen the spread of the virus and its impact. Preserving well-established teaching and learning practices and creating effective new ways of teaching and connecting were priorities during this time of rapid change. Nursing programs needed to consider new or alternative ways of delivering teaching and learning experiences for students. Here, Montague et al explore nursing students' sense of belonging after transitioning from college to university.