Research seminar by Steven Kavaratzis

Title: Student Flourishing in Asynchronous vs Synchronous Online Interventions: A Community of Inquiry Perspective

Description: As organizations look for scalable effective solutions to support the well-being of the people within them, online wellness interventions have been receiving more scholarly and practitioner attention. To examine whether and how online learning modalities can enhance flourishing, this research examines a randomized controlled trial of two online versions of Thriving in Action, a ten-week wellness intervention offered to university students. Canadian business school students were assigned to either a synchronous condition with live video conferencing sessions on Zoom, or an asynchronous condition with modules offered on a digital learning platform. Data was collected between September 2021-April 2022 and measures were assessed at baseline, post-program, and at follow-up 4-weeks after program completion. Applying community of inquiry frameworks, we argue that richer social environments, like synchronous learning, may meet psychological needs that underpin flourishing. We propose climate of authenticity as an essential process mechanism that explains how participating in Thriving in Action can enhance flourishing. Our findings confirm that the synchronous condition reports higher climates of authenticity than the asynchronous condition, and that the link between the intervention condition and flourishing is mediated by climate of authenticity. These results reveal that sharing distress is a necessary process mechanism that promotes flourishing.

Bio: Steven is a PhD candidate and TRSM Staff member in the decision analytics and accreditations unit. Steven completed his MScM at the Ted Rogers School of Management in 2021 and is in his third year of the PhD in Management studying organizational behaviour. His research interests, under the supervision of Dr. Ellen Choi, include employee well-being, stress, positive psychology and workplace wellness interventions.