EL-7004 v3

Mandernach, B. J., Robertson, S. N., & Steele, J. P. (2018). Beyond content: The value of instructor-student connections in the online classroom. Journal of the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning, 18(4), 130-150.
Mandernach et al. feel for learners to be fully engaged in their learning experiences require their engagement in the learning process. Students need to connect with peers and instructors in meaningful ways. This article recommends personalized ways of connecting with online learners.

Green, T., Hoffmann, M., Donovan, L., & Phuntsog, N. (2017). Cultural communication characteristics and student connectedness in an online environment: Perceptions and preferences of online graduate students. International Journal of E-Learning & Distance Education, 32(2).
There is an increasing number of students that come from diverse cultures studying online. This study reviews cultural communication characteristics and students’ perceptions of connectedness with peers and instructors. The authors examine what elements within an online program help increase these perceptions of connectedness. It was found that social connectedness improves student success and persistence.

Rakic, S., Tasic, N., Marjanovic, U., Softic, S., Lüftenegger, E., & Turcin, I. (2020). Student performance on an e-learning platform: Mixed method approach. International Journal of Emerging Technologies in Learning, 15(2).
These authors propose student engagement and their use of technological resources in learning activities is an essential requirement for learning success. This paper explores the utilization and impact of digital technologies in Moodle, an e-learning platform. The author’s results show a significant relationship between the use of digital resources within the e-learning platform and student’s performance.