Sense of community and peer review: A case study of a doctoral dissertation experience

The traditional doctoral dissertation process can be considered an isolating and challenging experience, but the extent to which this may be true for online-only students is unknown. The objective of the present study was to understand whether participation in peer review activities related to feelings of sense of community in online doctoral students. The relationship between sense of community and peer review assignments was measured using a fully online Doctor of Education program at a large, research-based university in the midwestern United States as the case study. A mixed-methods exploratory, intrinsic case study was deployed using surveys, focus group interviews, and system-captured peer review data. This study demonstrated that sense of community persists while deploying a peer review process for doctoral dissertation students as a part of a peer-to-peer learning model. The present study also revealed certain program and peer review factors as the constitutive elements of sense of community that contribute to a suggested framework of a peer review process for doctoral dissertation students, such as synchronous group advising sessions and peer research groups. Recommendations as a result of the present study also included a focused peer review assignment methodology that establishes an intimate peer learning community that can strengthen students’ sense of community and ultimately their task outcomes.

Name thesis:degree_name

Ed.D.

Level thesis:degree_level

Dissertation

Discipline thesis:degree_discipline

Educ Policy, Orgzn & Leadrshp

Grantor

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

Year dc:date

2021

Author dc:creator

• Francis, Kara Lynn

Contributors dc:contributor

• Cope, William
• Kalantzis, Mary
• Dhillon, Pradeep
• Montebello, Matthew

• Education, Higher
• Higher Education
• Peer Review
• Sense of Community
• Doctoral Students
• Dissertation
• Online Community, Online Learning, CGScholar, Social Learning, New Learning

Statement dc:rights

• © 2021 Kara Lynn Francis

Language dc:language

en

Handle dc:identifier

http://hdl.handle.net/2142/110784

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:www.ideals.illinois.edu:2142/110784