Increasing social belonging in digital and self-directed learning settings – is the introduction of a digital learning platform sufficient?

Digital transformation is leading to an increased use of digitally supported learning settings in higher education. This raises the practical question of how this affects students’ sense of social belonging. The present study investigated the influence of a digital learning platform’s technical features on university students’ social belonging by means of interviews (N=10) and a questionnaire survey (N= 35). The results showed that not only technical features, but also the digital learning platform’s conditions and the way contact opportunities are offered are important for students’ sense of belonging. The results are discussed here, and practical implications are derived.