Creating Belonging and Community on a Multisite Blended Field Course

This thesis explores the formation of a learning community in a multisite blended field course in higher education. The course, a natural science course focused on peatlands, was piloted to reduce travel-related emissions associated with field courses. The course combined fieldwork at three separate research sites with shared online learning phases before and after the field phase. The analysis in the thesis draws on the Community of Inquiry framework and examines course design, student experiences, and interaction dynamics. Special attention is given to the formation of sense of belonging to the course community. The thesis employs a mixed-method research approach, and the data consists of two student surveys, qualitative observations during the field phase, and insights from a post-course teacher reflection workshop using a semi-structured format. Findings show that students’ sense of belonging varied significantly between the research sites. Key influencing factors for this variation included differences in perceived teacher support and feelings of equity across the sites. Limited communication between sites further affected students' experience of being part of a shared course community. Despite these challenges, students found the course generally successful. They appreciated the environmental motivations behind the multisite design and reported having meaningful learning experiences especially during the field phase. The thesis offers insights for designing inclusive, and community-oriented blended field courses that balance ecological sustainability with pedagogical effectiveness.

Grantor dc:publisher

Helsingin yliopisto

Year dc:date.issued

2025

Author dc:creator

• Oikarinen, Tuukka Samuli

• blended learning
• community of inquiry
• sense of belonging
• field course
• higher education

Statement dc:rights

• CC BY 4.0

Language dc:language.iso

eng

Handle dc:identifier.uri

http://hdl.handle.net/10138/602218

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:helda.helsinki.fi:10138/602218