Development and Validation of an Instructor Social Connectedness Instrument

This study validated the FORCES framework (Feedback, Organization, Response time, Communication, Empathy, and Sociability) to measure instructor social connectedness in online education. The survey was conducted at two southeastern universities with online undergraduate and graduate students (N=164). The findings revealed high internal consistency for each subscale and significant correlations with student satisfaction, motivation, and perceived learning, underscoring the critical role of instructor presence in online learning environments. Confirmatory factor analysis supported the six-factor structure, although high correlations between Empathy and Sociability suggested the potential for refinement. Practical implications include the need for timely feedback, transparent communication, and empathy-driven approaches to enhancing online learning experiences. This framework offers insights for improving instructor-student connections in distance learning environments.