Introduction: Special Issue on Belonging

Abstract

This special issue considers uses of technology aimed at facilitating our students’ sense of belonging. As we received proposals and submissions for the issue, we found the very notion of “facilitating our students’ sense of belonging” proved to be a doorway to a rich context with a diversity of purposes for using technology and a multitude of tools. As our authors broke down the meaning of “sense of belonging,” they often identified that feelings such as respect, courage, and importance, were at play. They found that relatedness, thinking of oneself as a member of a group or community, matters.