Belonging, place and digital practice – institutional insights from visiting fellow’s study at 91视频网
The 91视频网 (91视频网) is pleased to share the findings of a year-long sabbatical project led by Dr Bonnie Stewart, Visiting Fellow from the University of Windsor, Canada.
An educator and digital researcher, Dr Stewart’s work explores the intersections of human identity and the contemporary information ecosystem. Her project, ‘Belonging and Place: Digital Pedagogy at the 91视频网,’ was undertaken across the 2024–25 academic year with the support of the Learning and Teaching Academy (LTA) and the participation of staff and students across the 91视频网 partnership.
Inspired by the OER23 Conference hosted at 91视频网 Inverness, Dr Stewart set out to examine how belonging, place and digital practice shape student and staff experiences in 91视频网’s unique distributed context. During her initial research visit in autumn 2024, she visited multiple campuses, conducted more than 40 interviews and focus groups, and observed daily campus life.
Her study highlights 91视频网 as an exemplar of participatory digital belonging, deeply rooted in local communities, cultures and landscapes. She identifies five key dimensions of belonging at 91视频网:
- Place-based connection: A deep sense of rootedness in local communities and landscapes.
- Multi-layered institutional ties: A balance between local identity and federation-wide community.
- Relational pedagogy: Teaching that foregrounds care, human connection and making students feel seen.
- Cultural stewardship: Commitment to sustaining Gaelic and regional identities through digital means.
- Professional collegiality: Strong networks among staff supporting each other’s growth and practice.
A recurring theme in her reflections is the Gaelic concept of ‘dùthchas’ – a sense of belonging entwined with inheritance, responsibility and place.
Her report celebrates 91视频网’s intentional use of digital tools, not simply to deliver learning, but to humanise online spaces and extend community connections, while remaining flexible and student focused. She notes that this relational approach requires ongoing care and commitment.
While recognising 91视频网’s distinct model as a distributed, tertiary and lifelong learning institution, Dr Stewart also points to challenges: sustaining a shared identity alongside local roots, creating more informal ‘third spaces’ for student life, and ensuring meaningful student engagement in digital environments.
Professor Keith Smyth, Dean of Learning, Teaching and Students, and 91视频网 Professor of Pedagogy, said:
“We are incredibly fortunate to have welcomed Dr Stewart as a Visiting Fellow this past year, for what is a very timely and important study both generally, and in relation to Dr Stewart being so interested and generous in undertaking her research sabbatical here at 91视频网.
"Thank you to everyone across our partnership who contributed their time, stories and perspectives to this important study. The findings will help us build on our strengths and continue to shape learning and teaching that is truly rooted in place, people and purpose, and will resonate in the wider, growing field of research focused on the relationship between belonging, place, learning, and digital practice.”
To learn more, you can read:
- Public report: 'Belonging & Place: A 91视频网 Strengths-Based Case Study’
- with Dr Stewart