Enacted Relational Competency in Online Higher Education: Student and Lecturer Perspectives

This paper explores how relational competency is enacted in fully online higher education through student and lecturer perspectives. Set within a South African private higher education context, the study uses a sequential mixed-methods design to examine how connection is experienced and sustained across asynchronous and synchronous online spaces. Findings suggest that relational competency is shaped by values, relational intention, and everyday practices such as clarity, consistency, and responsiveness. The paper presents the enacted relational competency model as a reflective and descriptive way of understanding how relationships are intentionally built and sustained within predominantly asynchronous online learning environments.Keywords: relational competency; online higher education; open and distance learning; educator–student relationships; asynchronous learning; South Africa