Exploring Online Education Experience through the Teaching, Social and Cognitive Presences

Abstract

The shift from traditional face-to-face classes to virtual learning influences the students' happiness and decreases their motivation to learn. Students may find it difficult to perceive cognitive, social, and teaching presences in online learning systems, making learning virtually difficult. This quantitative survey study investigates how teaching, social, and cognitive presences affect students' learning experiences. A thirty-four-item survey with three primary sections: teaching, social, and cognitive presence, was completed by 69 students from local university in Malaysia. The respondents ranged in age from 15 to 59 years old and held degrees ranging from matriculation/foundation/certificate to doctorate level in social science and technical fields. Results indicated that the course design and organisation as well as the facilitation provided by the instructors frequently helped keep the students on task in a way that helped the students learn in the setting of teaching presence. Among the three items measured in teaching presence, direct instruction scored the least mean value. Respondents also agreed with the statement that social presence is felt through affective expression, open communication, and group cohesion. However, lowest mean value captured in social presence through design and organization is regarding to how well instructor communicate important course goals. In contrast, cognitive presence is felt from online activities triggering events, exploitation, integration, and resolution. In the context of triggering event, they occasionally believed that the issues raised sparked their curiosity about the subjects addressed in class and that class activities aroused it. The results of this study have implications for administrators, instructional designers, and online instructors who aim to improve student learning experiences and engagement in their courses.