Nodding's (1984) theory of care evolved before online education became main stream. Therefore, this study was conducted to learn how students and instructors described care and what language or strategies they perceived as conveying care in online education. Online instructor interviews, online student survey, and course shell review were conducted. The findings of this study were viewed through Noddings' three constructs of care. Findings showed that among Nodding's three major constructs, Engrossment and Affective Engagement were found to be aligned in this virtual caring environment; however, Reciprocity was not.

Paper presented to the 7th Annual Symposium on Graduate Research and Scholarly Projects (GRASP) held at the Marcus Welcome Center, Wichita State University, May 4, 2011.Research completed at the Department of Educational Leadership