Social Presence In Online Learning Research Articles

Karakteristik pelajar dan social presence pada pembelajaran daring di masa pandemik covid-19

This study mainly to examined students’ technology capability and their perception of social presence in online learning during covid-19 pandemic. Moreover, we also examined the role of learner characteristics as moderation variable in relationship between technology capability and social presence. A total of 380 people (students of batch 2017 from private university located in Bandung) have participated voluntarily as the respondents. Hypotheses testing were employed by Moderated Regression Analysis (MRA) technique. The results of this research were (1) technology capability significantly affect social presence; (2) learner characterictics significantly affect social presence; (3) learner characterictics significantly increased the relationship between technology capability and social presence. These findings clarify that online learning effectiveness is not only determined by students’ technology capability, but also students’ certain characteristics. In addition, the result of this study indicate that the role of technology capabilities is essential in online learning and associated with interactions during activities. Also, these results provide some important recommendations to all lecturers in university to develop an effective learning process during this pandemic.

Social presence and online discussions: a mixed method investigation

ABSTRACT Researchers have been investigating social presence in online learning for decades. However, despite this continued research, questions remain about the nature and development of social presence. The purpose of this mixed method exploratory case study was to investigate how social presence is established in online discussion forums in an asynchronous online course. The results suggest that social presence is more complicated than previously thought. In particular, situational variable such as group size, instructional task, and previous relationships influence how social presence is established and maintained in online courses. In the following paper, we report the results of our inquiry and the implications for further research and practice.

Exploring the relationship between social presence and learners’ prestige in MOOC discussion forums using automated content analysis and social network analysis

Research has repeatedly proven the importance of social interactions in online learning contexts such as Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs), where learners often reported isolation and a lack of peer support. Previous studies of social presence suggested that the ways learners present themselves socially online affect their learning outcomes. In order to further understand the role of learners' social presence, this study attempts to examine the relationship between social presence and learners' prestige in the learner network of a MOOC. An automated text classification model based on the latest machine learning techniques was developed to identify different social presence indicators from forum posts, while two metrics (in-degree and authority score) in social network analysis (SNA) were used to measure learners' prestige in the learner network. Results revealed that certain social presence indicators such as Asking questions, Expressing gratitude, Self-disclosure, Sharing resources and Using Vocatives have positive correlations with learners' prestige, while the expressions of Disagreement/doubts/criticism and Negative emotions were counterproductive to learners' prestige. The findings not only reinforce the importance of social presence in online learning, but also shed light on the strategies of leveraging social presence to improve individual's prestige in social learning contexts like MOOCs.

Exploring the Roles of Social Presence and Gender Difference in Online Learning

ABSTRACTOnline learning has become more popular in higher education with its advantages of flexibility and accessibility. However, there have been challenges to students’ learning experience in online learning. One critical challenge would be providing interactions between students and instructors as good or effective as in the face‐to‐face environment. However, providing face‐to‐face interactions in online learning is not feasible because students and instructors are not physically present together. In this study, we introduce and empirically investigate social presence as student learning experience in online learning in which physical presence does not exist. Drawing upon the social presence and online learning literature, we propose a research model to explore how the interactivity of communication tools can drive social presence and student satisfaction in online learning. Furthermore, this study examines gender difference as a moderator in the model. Data were collected from undergraduate students who were taking online business statistics courses where an interactive communication tool was required to use for class communication and collaboration. The results showed that social presence driven by tool interactivity had a significant impact on student satisfaction in online learning. We also found that gender difference moderated the relationship between tool interactivity and social presence in online learning.

Using Facebook groups to support social presence in online learning

ABSTRACTBuilding interpersonal connections in asynchronous online learning is important, but it is harder to achieve compared to face-to-face learning experiences due to its mostly text-based nature. Facebook is a popular social media platform and has been used as an outside-class communication space in formal learning contexts to supplement cognitive and affective aspects of learning. In this study, we used Facebook groups as supplemental social spaces in two asynchronous online master’s-level courses to understand if it impacted students’ perceptions of social presence (i.e., copresence, immediacy, and intimacy), learning interaction with faculty and peers, as well as sociability of the online learning environment. The results indicated that students felt more positively about social presence and learning interactions with other classmates and their instructor and perceived the course as having more sociability after they joined the class Facebook group. Findings have implications for supporting social impression formation in online learning.

Enriching Social Presence through Research and Practice

'Social Presence in Online Learning: Multiple Perspectives on Practice and Research,' examines social presence through three lenses: as technologically facilitated, as learners' perceptions, and as a critical literacy. Whiteside, Dikkers, and Swan have edited an extremely useful volume that combines reviews of research with practical suggestions. The book makes a convincing case for the importance of social presence considerations in online course design.

The interactions between facilitator identity, conflictual presence, and social presence in peer-moderated online collaborative learning

Research has focused on the significance of social presence in online learning. However, peer interaction does not always result in positive emotions and feelings; it can trigger tension, distress, and anger within a learning community. Therefore, conflictual presence, as a carrier of negative valence within presence, is also a critical element when it becomes inimical to online discussions. Drawing upon the socially situated identity theory and using discourse analysis, this study presents an authentic case where conflictual presence, social presence, and identity negotiation were intertwined throughout the entire life of an online learning community. Findings reveal that students craft their discourses to fashion themselves as a certain kind of facilitator and participant. Implicit and explicit identity negotiation is ubiquitous in discursive interactions and can lead to tension and conflictual socio-relations at times.

Increasing Social Presence in Online Learning through Small Group Discussions

Social presence is a difficult to achieve, but an imperative component of online learning. In this study, we investigated the effect of group size on students' perceptions of social presence in two graduate-level online courses, comparing small group versus whole class discussions. Our results indicated that when in small group discussions, students perceived a higher level of social presence in terms of sociability, t(32) = 3.507, p = .001; social space, t(29) = 3.074, p = .005; and group cohesion, t(32) = 3.550, p = .001. We discuss how placing students in small and permanent discussion groups can augment social presence. Designers and educators of online learning can strategically modify group size to promote social presence in asynchronous online discussions.

The relationships between higher order thinking skills, cognitive density, and social presence in online learning

Despite a considerable amount of research about online learning presences, the quality of cognitive presence, the value of social presence, and the relationship between them have yet to be comprehensively studied. The purpose of the current study was to investigate the correlation between cognitive presence density and higher order thinking skills as well as the relationship between cognitive and social presences. The study examined online discussion board messages (N=672) posted by two groups of college students (N=23) using quantitative content analysis. The Community of Inquiry (CoI) model was used as a framework to classify and analyze the data. By comparing the cognitive and social presences of the two groups' messages, the study confirmed that high cognitive presence density did not guarantee the promotion of higher order thinking skills but that social presence was positively related to the quality of cognitive presence.

Promoting Socialization in Distance Education.

Learners enjoy the convenience of being able to take online courses, yet many reports missing the face-to-face contact with their peers. This researcher has sought to tap into the vision of Ferratt & Hall (2009) whereby educators and technology designers are encouraged to extend the vision of online learning to “virtually being there and beyond.” Thus, the purpose of this study was to examine innovative synchronous technology and pedagogy as a means of promoting social presence in online learning. The inquiry was quantitative in nature. Through adapting Garrison and colleagues’ community of inquiry framework (Garrison, Anderson, & Archer 2000) it was noted that students perceived the use of synchronous Centra technology to be beneficial in promoting a sense of social presence in online learning. Through one-on-one conversations within Centra, it was discovered that the use of this technology also had a positive effect on student retention. There was a correlation between learners’ perception that the instructor promoted an atmosphere of online community and there being a sense of social presence. There was evidence of satisfaction with instructor as evidenced by high student evaluation ratings. Instructor ratings were above the department mean and the university mean.

Being online: social presence as subjectivity in online learning

This article discusses the relationship between social presence and subjectivity in online learning environments. Drawing from views of subjectivity synthesised by de Sousa and an exploratory study into online social presence (by Kehrwald), the presentation identifies the links between various forms of subjectivity and the operation of social presence. The conclusions highlight the benefits of explicitly associating subjectivity with social presence in online learning and some of the key implications for online learning practice.