Cohesion, collaboration and the struggle of creating online learning communities: Development and validation of an online collective efficacy scale

• DOI: 10.1016/j.caeo.2021.100031
• Publication Date: 2021-02-28T15:04:40Z
• Authors: Michael Glassman; Irina Kuznetcova; Joshua Peri; Yunhwan Kim
• Keywords: Cohesion (chemistry); Collective efficacy

A number of strategies have emerged over the last decades to guide development online learning communities where members share, augment and co-create information but few tools measure their success. This paper suggests that some communities’ success can be understood through lens collective efficacy. Albert Bandura introduced idea efficacy as an emergent variable agency in community Collective sees group dependent on relationships between two levels: degree which individuals feel they able contribute existing group, perceive a fit own abilities, desires goals those other group. The present describes validation 35-item Likert-scale capture this phenomenon. Confirmatory Factor Analysis corroborated data ( n = 634) proposed theoretical structure scale (comprising 6 factors), convergence validity analysis yielded significant moderate correlations instruments measuring related constructs. developed has both descriptive value helping researchers/instructors understand effectiveness managing communities; prescriptive value, offer guidance how move towards more successful community.