Community matters: Social presence and learning outcomes

Main Article Content

Carol Hostetter
Monique Busch

Abstract

The study examines the relationship between social presence and students’ learning outcomes. An emerging body of research connects social presence with learning outcomes in online coursework. Social presence is the “degree to which a person is perceived as a ‘real person’ in mediated communication” (Gunwardena & Zittle, 1997, p.9). The study of 121 student participants addresses the following questions: What is the evidence of social presence in students’ communication in an online discussion forum and in an attitudinal survey? 2) What pedagogical methods affect students’ perceptions of social presence? and 3) What is the relationship between social presence and students’ learning outcomes?  The regression model revealed that students with higher demonstrations of social presence in discussion forum posts had statistically significantly higher ratings on the CAT. This seems to indicate that social presence influences student outcomes on written assignments.

Downloads

Download data is not yet available.

Article Details

How to Cite
Hostetter, C., & Busch, M. (2013). Community matters: Social presence and learning outcomes. Journal of the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning, 13(1), 77–86. Retrieved from https://scholarworks.iu.edu/journals/index.php/josotl/article/view/3268
Section
Articles

References

Allen, E.I., & Seaman, J. (2010). Learning on demand: Online education in the United States, 2009. Newburyport, MA: Sloan Consortium. Retrieved from: http://sloanconsortium.org/publications/survey/pdf/learningondemand.pdf

Angelo, T.A., & Cross, K.P. (1993). Classroom Assessment Techniques: A Handbook for College Teachers. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.

Hostetter, C., & Busch, M. (2006). Measuring up online: The relationship between social presence and student learning satisfaction. Journal of the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning, 6(12), 1-12.

Biocca, F., Harms, C. & Burgoon, J.K.. (2003). Toward a more robust theory and Measure of social presence: Review and suggested criteria. Presence, 12(5), 456-480.

Bisman, C.D., & Hardcastle, D.A. (1999). A model for using research methodologies in practice. Journal of Teaching in Social Work, 19(1/2), 47-63.

Bonk, C.J., & Cunningham, D.J. (1998). Searching for learner-centered, constructivist, and sociocultural components of collaborative educational learning tools. In C. J. Bonk and K.S. King (Eds.), Electronic Collaborators: Learner-Centered Technologies for Literacy, Apprenticeship, and Discourse (pp. 25-50). Mahwah, NJ: Erlbaum.

Coomey, S.M., & Wilczenski, F.L. (2005). Implications of technology for social and emotional communication. Journal of Applied School Psychology, 21, 127-139.

Garrison, D.R. (2007). Online Community of inquiry review: Social, cognitive and teaching presence issues. Journal of Asynchronous Learning Networks, 11(1), 61-72.

Garrison, D.R., Cleveland-Innes, M., & Fung, T.S. (2010). Exploring causal relationships among teaching, cognitive and social presence: Student perceptions of the community of inquiry framework. Internet and Higher Education, 13, 31-36.

Greenhow, C., Robelia, B., & Hughes, J.H. (2009). Learning, teaching and scholarship in the digital age. Educational Researcher, 38, 246-259.

Grinnell, R.M., Jr. (1997). Social Work Research and Evaluation: Quantitative and Qualitative Approaches. Itasca, IL: F.E. Peacock.

Gunawardena, C.N. (1995). Social presence theory and implications for interaction and collaborative learning in computer conferences. International Journal of Educational Telecommunications, 1(2/3), 147-166.

Gunawardena, C.N., & Zittle, F.J. (1997) Social presence as a predictor of satisfaction with a computer-mediated conferencing environment. American Journal of Distance Education, 11(3), 8-26.

Kehrwald, B. (2010). Being online: Social presence as subjectivity in online learning. London Review of Education, 8(1), 39-50.

Lapointe, D.K., & Gunawardena, C.N. (2004). Developing, testing and refining of a model to understand the relationship between peer interaction and learning outcomes in computer-mediated conferencing. Distance Education, 25(1) 83-106.

Lee, K.M., Jeong, E.J., Park, N., & Ryu, S. (2011) Effects of interactivity in educational games: A mediating role of social presence on learning outcomes. International Journal of Human-Computer Interaction, 27(7), 620-633

Novak, G.M., Patterson, E., Gavrin, A., & Christian, W. (1999). Just-in-Time Teaching: Blending Active Learning with Web Technology. Upper Saddle River: Prentice Hall.

Padgett, D.K. (1998). Qualitative Methods in Social Work Research: Challenges and Rewards. Thousands Oaks, CA: Sage Publications.

Pew Internet & American Life Project (2010). Technology user types. Retrieved from http://pewinternet.org/topics/Technology-user-types.aspx

Picciano, A.G. (2002). Beyond student perceptions: Issues of interaction, presence and performance in an online course. Journal of Asynchronous Learning Networks, 6 (1), 2140.

Ponkanen, L.M., Alhoniemi, A., Leppanen, J.M., & Hietanen, J.K. (2011) Does it make a difference if I have an eye contact with you or with your picture? An ERP study. Social Cognitive and Affective Neuroscience, 6(4), 486-494.

Portnoy, D.B., Smoak, N.D., & Marsh, K.L. (2010). Perceiving interpersonally-mediated risk in virtual environments. Virtual Reality, 14(1), 67-76.

Richardson, J.C., & Swan, K. (2003). Examining social presence in online courses in relation to students’ perceived learning and satisfaction. Journal of Asynchronous Learning Networks, 7(1), 68-88.

Rourke, L, Anderson, T., Garrison, D.R., & Archer, W. (1999). Assessing social presence in asynchronous text-based computer conferencing. Journal of Distance Education, 14(2), 50-71.

Schultze, U. (2010). Embodiment and presence in virtual worlds: A review. Journal of Information Technology, 25(4), 434-449.

Sherman, E., & Reid, W.J. (Eds.) (1993). Qualitative Research in Social Work. New York: Columbia University Press.

Swan, K.P., Richardson, J.C., Ice, P., Garrison, D.R., Cleveland-Innes, M., & Arbaugh, J.B. (2008). Validating a measurement tool of presence in online communities of inquiry. e-Mentor, 24(2), 1-12.

Tu, C.H. (2002). The measurement of social presence in an online learning environment. International Journal of E-Learning, 34-45.

Wegerif, R. (1998). The social dimension of asynchronous learning networks. Journal of Asynchronous Learning Networks, 2(1), 34-49.