The Development of Social Presence & Community in Online Course Discussions (original) (raw)
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On the Nature and Development of Social Presence in Online Discussions
“Social presence,” the degree to which participants in computer-mediated communication feel affectively connected one to another, has been shown to be an important factor in student satisfaction and success in online courses. This mixed methods study built on previous research to explore in greater depth the nature of social presence and how it develops in online course discussions. The study combined quantitative analyses of survey results from students enrolled in four online graduate courses, and qualitative comparisons of students with the highest and lowest perceptions of social presence. Quantitative results revealed significant correlations between perceived social presence and satisfaction with online discussions, and teased apart the respective influences of the perceived presence of instructors and peers. The findings indicate that the perceived presence of instructors may be a more influential factor in determining student satisfaction than the perceived presence of peers. Correlations with other course and learner characteristics suggest that course design may also significantly affect the development of social presence. Qualitative findings support the quantitative results. In addition, they provide evidence that students perceiving the highest social presence also projected themselves more into online discussions, and reveal meaningful differences in perceptions of the usefulness and purpose of online discussion between students perceiving high and low social presence.
Advancing Social Presence, Community, and Cognition Through Online Discussions
Enhancing Social Presence in Online Learning Environments, 2018
Discussions are an essential component of online learning and an ingredient in establishing learner and instructor presence. Online discussions are generally considered key to student success, but they can be challenging to design and facilitate effectively. Engaging discussions show learners' presence, provide a means for students to make external what they are working through cognitively, and facilitate community and connections among students and faculty. This chapter presents multiple tool and format options that designers and instructors can select from to effectively prepare for and facilitate discussion activities that promote social presence. It offers strategies for facilitation and assessment of student participation in online discussions and recommendations for writing discussion questions and structuring discussion activities to enhance social comfort and meaningful interactions in online learning experiences.
Fostering Presence in Online Discussion
Academic exchange quarterly, 2013
With increased demands for online courses, instructors are challenged to facilitate discussions that promote critical thinking and mastery of content. Synchronous and asynchronous discussion forums are used to create a Community of Inquiry (COI) across four respective disciplines and areas: English as a Second Language (ESL), Teacher Education, Industrial Technology, and Human Resource Development (HRD). Understanding the benefits and limitations of each forum and their applications allows instructors to facilitate quality online discussions that foster development of social, cognitive and teaching presence. Introduction The 21 century is characterized by new methods of communication, which have moved from letter writing to emails, texts, and social networking, which are inherent to U.S. college students. Virtual learning environments (VLEs) move from instructor-driven to learner-customized environments through Web 2.0-based Internet platforms (Kompen, Edirisingha, & Monguet, 2012)....
Social Presence and Online Discussions: A Mixed-Method Investigation
Distance Education, 2020
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. This paper concludes with implications for further research and practice.
Social Psychology of Education, 2008
The correlation between three conceptions of social presence (seen as 1. a subjective quality of a medium that determines the quality of the communication and perception of others, 2. self-projection onto the group, and 3. identification with the group) and different aspects of perceived learning in online discussion groups were tested. Six hundreds and fifty nine students completed a web-based questionnaire that was distributed via 50 course Websites. Self projection, perception of others and identification with the group correlated positively with each other. They also correlated positively with most aspects of perceived learning. The subjective quality of the medium did not correlate with these conceptions and also did not correlate with any aspects of perceived learning. Thus, social presence may afford learning by setting a convenient climate. Alternatively, it may contribute only to the socioemotional source of perceived learning while leaving cognitive source unaffected.
Encyclopedia of distance learning (2nd ed.), 2009
Learning is a social process (Harasim, 2002; Swan & Shea, 2005; Tu, 2000). Discourse plays a key role in the social process of learning (Harasim, 2002). Therefore, it is extremely important that we understand how students and teachers socially interact in online courses where asynchronous computer-mediated communication (CMC) is the major form of discourse. Theories of social presence help explain how students and teachers interact and learn online.
Interaction and interpersonality in online discussion forums
Distance Education, 2005
This longitudinal study evaluated the amount and type of interaction and interpersonal content in messages posted by online graduate students in small group asynchronous forums. It also assessed the relationship between interpersonality and interactivity. To achieve this, a new coding scheme was developed to categorize the content of online forums. The results suggest that cultivating interpersonality online leads to increased participation and expands the depth of discussion, thus facilitating online collective knowledge building. Finally, regulating the complexity of interactions and fostering the development of a cohesive group of participants through increased interpersonal exchanges may render more controlled patterns of interactive online behavior and improve collective learning.
Marketing Education Review
This paper proposes a video-based discussion learning exercise to consider in addition to the traditional online discussion board format. While the traditional written interaction between students in an online classroom is beneficial, the mass adoption of video technology, along with limitations associated with online discussion boards, led to the development of a new way to facilitate group communication using video communication technology. Utilizing the theory of social presence, we demonstrate the effectiveness of this video discussion format, allowing students to virtually "get to know" each other and collaborate in an environment that more closely resembles a traditional face-toface classroom experience. Following multiple trials of online synchronous video discussions across both small and large class sections, results demonstrate students' preferences for the video-based discussion format over the traditional, text-based discussion boards supported by their institution's learning management system. Findings from two studies support that the video-based discussions enhance learning outcomes and foster a sense of classroom community. An opening question. Active participation. An engaged community of students providing their thoughts and opinions while learning about other peer viewpoints. A chance to deepen the understanding of course concepts through an exchange of information. As educators, these scenarios, which promote active participation in class, are the hallmark of a modern college classroom (Bigatel, Ragan, Kennan, May, & Redmond, [2]). However, the transition of most institutions to online learning due to COVID-19 leaves both professors and students with limited options for facilitating online discussions; namely, they have the online discussion board. Given the need to develop something new with technology that until recently was not widespread in collegiate classrooms, we have recreated many of the benefits of a synchronous, in-person discussion through video communication technology (e.g., Microsoft Teams, Zoom, WebEx). Feeling that the traditional online discussion board format within their learning management system (LMS) was lacking in facilitating a strong sense of community in their online marketing courses, we saw an opportunity to develop a new discussion method that would be seen favorably by students. In particular, we incorporated video-recorded, small group discussion activities that allowed students to interact synchronously with each other while simultaneously learning modern skills that will serve them well in a post-COVID workplace. Student video discussions were completed in multiple marketing courses-at both the undergraduate and graduate level-and the data collected from student participants confirms students' preference for synchronous video discussions over asynchronous discussion boards. We found the video discussions enhanced relationship-building while also adding depth to the level of conversation usually observed in a traditional, text-only discussion board in their LMS. Traditional online discussion boards, housed within an institution's LMS and limited primarily to textbased discussions in an asynchronous format, can be a polarizing topic among educators and students alike. While negativity toward discussion boards may come as a surprise to some educators (Ally, [1]), we question whether this pedagogical method maximizes educational opportunity, stemming from many conversations with students and faculty. A Google search for "discussion board memes" results in over 38 million results. Notable comedic examples include "I love bread" and "2 + 2 = 4" ("Discussion Board Memes, [8]). An academic review of asynchronous discussion boards provides evidence that the method is not seen as universally positive. In a review of face-to-face versus online discussion forums, Wang and Woo observed the following negatives associated with online discussions: additional time needed to respond to posts throughout the assignment window, increased aggression through negative posts, minimal engagement between student groups, and students copying and pasting older posts rather than providing new content for each assignment (Wang & Woo, [21]). We have attempted the traditional discussion board format in previous courses and have experienced comments similar to the aforementioned research and memes.
Social Presence and e-Learning
ABSTRACT “Social presence” can be defined as the ability of participants in online discussions both to perceive other participants as “real people” and to project themselves socially and affectively into the disussion. This paper explores the concept of social presence and its relationship to learning online, through a review of research studies to date investigating these topics and a summary of their findings.