Feeling recognised, valued and part of the learning experience, with opportunities to develop identity, community, and a sense of place.
Belonging: more than being present
Being present in a learning space does not necessarily mean feeling part of it. A student can attend a class, log into an online session or contribute to a digital platform and still feel disconnected from the people, practices and community around them.
Recognition is an important part of belonging. It is about feeling seen, heard and and valued as an individual, rather than simply present as another student. Research into belonging in higher education connects this experience with engagement, wellbeing and retention, while also showing that negative experiences, including stereotyping, can undermine it (Gilani and Thomas, 2025).
Belonging is also relational. Relationships with peers and educators create opportunities to share experiences, exchange ideas and develop connections. This can require particular attention in digital education. While online learning can create flexibility, it can also make informal interaction and relationship-building more difficult. Edwards and Hardie (2025) identify connection, inclusion, support and autonomy as important foundations for developing belonging in online learning.
Then there is identity. Education is not simply about acquiring knowledge. Students are also developing an understanding of themselves, their discipline and where they fit within it. Belonging provides opportunities for students to contribute their experiences and perspectives, rather than feeling they have to adapt themselves to fit an established idea of who belongs.
Finally, belonging involves a sense of place. In digital and hybrid education, that place may not always be a classroom or campus. Recent research describes belonging as relational across both digital and place-based learning, shaped by identity, culture, participation and the connections between people and their environments (Stewart and Le, 2026).
For ABLE, this asks us to look beyond whether students are simply present or participating. Do our learning environments help people feel recognised? Can they develop meaningful relationships? Can they contribute something of themselves and begin to feel that this is their community too?
Perhaps the question for our practice is not simply“ Are students here?”, but: “Do they feel that they belong here?”
References
Edwards, C. and Hardie, L. (2025). How to Develop a Sense of Belonging in Online Distance Learning? In: Baxter, J. et al. (eds.) Creativity and Critique in Digital Learning and Teaching. Springer, pp.179–201. doi: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-68086-1_8.
Gilani, D. and Thomas, L. (2025). Understanding the factors and consequences of student belonging in higher education: a critical literature review. Journal of Learning Development in Higher Education, 34.
Stewart, B. and Le, T.T.K. (2026). Mapping Belonging in Higher Education: Tracing Relationality Across Digital and Place-Based Literature. Digital Culture & Education.