The Missing Space in Online Learning: Why Digital Student Unions Matter
In our last post on InScribe’s Personalized Persistence Framework, we explored how institutions can move beyond one-size-fits-most approaches to support students in ways that adapt to their needs and circumstances. That framework highlighted persistence as a deeply human process, one rooted in belonging, encouragement, and connection.
This post builds on that idea by looking at where those connections are formed. On physical campuses, they often emerge in what sociologists call the “third space”—the informal environments that exist outside of home (the first space) and work or school (the second space). On campus, these are the study halls, libraries, coffee shops, and student unions where friendships spark, quick questions get answered, and students feel part of something larger. For online learners, these spaces have to be intentionally designed and rarely exist. The concept of digital student unions brings the third space online, giving students a place to belong, connect, and thrive.
Without a student union to walk into or a hallway to linger in, online learners risk isolation. They can miss out on the serendipitous moments that build confidence and connection, like making eye contact during a lecture and later asking, “Did you understand that lecture? Because I was lost,” or sparking a casual friendship over a shared challenge. These moments do more than provide social comfort. They create social capital, the networks of trust and support that help students persist through challenges, discover new opportunities, and feel part of a shared purpose.
Digital communities provide an answer by recreating these informal, peer-driven interactions virtually. These moments are where trust is built, relationships are formed, and networks of support take root. For online learners, the challenge is finding ways to build that same social capital when there are no hallways or coffee shops to linger in.
Fort Hays State University took this challenge head-on with the creation of Tiger-2-Tiger, a digital community designed to serve as a virtual student union and give learners the chance to connect, share, and belong.
Fort Hays State University: Tiger-2-Tiger as a Community
After a student satisfaction survey revealed that online learners at Fort Hays State University (FHSU) were missing opportunities for casual peer connection and a sense of belonging, Assistant Provost for Teaching Innovation and Learning Technologies Dr. Andrew Feldstein began looking for a solution. His vision was an “online commons,” a place where students could recreate the informal meetups and authentic conversations their on-campus peers experienced. That vision became Tiger-2-Tiger, a digital community powered by InScribe and intentionally designed as a student-only space.
Instead of being over-structured, the platform grew organically. Students introduced themselves from around the world, asked for advice about classes, shared worries, and even found “virtual friends.” In just a few months, more than 1,000 students joined, generating nearly 45,000 views across hundreds of conversations.
One post captured the power of this digital student union. A student posted in the community, “Am I too old?” The poster described her challenges during the fall semester, saying she was overwhelmed and asking the community if perhaps she was just too old to go back to school. Within minutes, peers responded with encouragement, reminding her she was not alone. That single thread drew hundreds of views and showed how a community can transform doubt into persistence.
Even if only one student found the reassurance they needed to keep going, that moment alone justifies the power of digital communities for student retention. But the impact likely reached far beyond the original poster. Hundreds of students who read the thread, but never commented, may have been carrying similar doubts. Seeing those words of encouragement and belonging offered to someone else can be just as powerful. This is the strength of one-to-many support: a single vulnerable post can ripple outward to reassure countless others who might not have spoken up.
Tiger-2-Tiger didn’t just connect learners. It gave them permission to support each other in ways that online academic spaces often do not allow. In doing so, it created a digital space where students could build the connections and social capital they had long been missing. Read the full case study.
Alamo Colleges District: Building Belonging at Scale
For Alamo Colleges District, one of the largest community college systems in the country, the challenge was clear. With more than 16,000 fully online learners, many balancing work, caregiving, and studies, isolation is a common barrier to persistence. While students were meeting the required engagement of their coursework, many still left programs because they did not feel a true sense of connection and support.
Institutional leaders realized that academic infrastructure alone was not enough. Students needed more than course materials and coaching. They needed community. That insight sparked the launch of Alamo Online Communities, a digital student union powered by InScribe and designed to give learners a safe, flexible space to connect.
Almost immediately, students began to use the community not only for academic help but also to share personal experiences and encouragement. One post read, “I was homeless and I’m back,” sparking dozens of replies filled with empathy, validation, and welcome. These exchanges captured the power of social capital—peers supporting peers, showing students they are not alone, and proving that their struggles are shared.
Alamo embedded the community throughout the student journey, ensuring students encountered it naturally. In its first months, more than 11,500 students joined, with thousands actively participating. Over a four-month period, the community generated more than 170,000 views across 1,600 posts. Faculty reported fewer repetitive questions, with some courses seeing email volume drop by 80%, allowing more time for meaningful outreach.
Most importantly, students reported feeling connected. They used the community to ask about financial aid deadlines, to raise concerns about tuition balances, and to celebrate personal wins. Each interaction built momentum and strengthened belonging. Hear from Alamo College District.
Belonging and Social Capital as Foundations of Success
What Fort Hays State University and Alamo Colleges District show us is that belonging and social capital are not “nice-to-haves.” They are essential. Digital student unions provide the scaffolding for online learners to see themselves as part of something bigger, to ask for help, and to persist when challenges arise.
In these informal, peer-driven spaces, students aren’t just exchanging information. They exchange encouragement, identity, and trust. They build social capital that strengthens their confidence and supports their academic journey. They remind each other: You are not alone. We are in this together.
Up Next: AI Can’t Empathize
That simple truth, recreated in a digital third space, may be the key to unlocking lasting success for the next generation of online learners. And while digital communities can offer empathy, encouragement, and trust, AI cannot. Up next, we will take a closer look at why chatbots can provide quick answers but never true empathy, and how peers offer the encouragement and trust that make all the difference.