| Abstract: ConectUNED is an applied research project aimed at designing and evaluating a
brief and scalable prototype to strengthen social connectedness, sense of belonging,
and psychological well-being among distance higher education students. The
prototype will incorporate life skills such as effective communication, empathy,
interpersonal relationships, emotional management, and problem and conflict
resolution.
The study will be conducted with students from three university centers of the
Universidad Estatal a Distancia using a mixed-methods approach and a sequential
design. A quantitative and qualitative assessment will identify experiences, needs,
and factors related to social connectedness, sense of belonging, and psychological
well-being. Based on these findings, the ConectUNED prototype will be codesigned.
The pilot evaluation will use a quasi-experimental design to compare a
group receiving the intervention initially with a wait-list group, which will be offered the prototype after the follow-up period. Social connectedness will be the primary outcome; sense of belonging and psychological well-being will be analyzed as
secondary outcomes. Feasibility, acceptability, participation, and adherence will
also be assessed.
The results will support the refinement of the prototype and the development of a
methodological proposal for its potential replication and scaling to other UNED
university centers. |