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This dissertation explores the extent to which learners feel connected in hybrid learning environments. I explored the connectedness learners feel in terms of a concept called social presence, or a level of trust and respect that motivates participants to take an active role in their own and their peers’ construction of knowledge. In exploring this...
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... This model emphasizes the need for social presence in comprehending and learning in order to maximize learning in online and mixed environments (Whiteside, 2007). In 2007In , 2011, Social Presence Model and its five features were revealed in Whiteside's study of a blended learning program: affective association, community cohesion, instructor involvement, interaction intensity, and knowledge and experience. ...
... This model emphasizes the need for social presence in comprehending and learning in order to maximize learning in online and mixed environments (Whiteside, 2007). In 2007In , 2011, Social Presence Model and its five features were revealed in Whiteside's study of a blended learning program: affective association, community cohesion, instructor involvement, interaction intensity, and knowledge and experience. Whiteside (2011) stated that the Social Presence Model fosters an understanding of the need of developing connections and nurturing relationships in the learning environment which can make students have greater motivation and increase learning outcomes. ...
Some students claim to suffer from anxiety, which lowers their self-esteem and causes them to feel anxious and uneasy while studying a foreign language. Establishing a social connection between the lecturer and the students is one of the possible solutions to this issue. The purpose of this study was to examine students' perceptions of social presence in an online speaking class and how social presence affects students' confidence in speaking class. This study employed quantitative research as its method of inquiry. The researchers distributed questionnaires to 159 students to collect data, but only 51 students responded. In addition, the researchers conducted interviews with a subset of participants to gain additional insight into the data required for the study. The research findings on students' perception of social presence in the online speaking class and the effect of social presence on students' confidence in speaking class revealed that students had a favorable perception of social presence in the online speaking class. The first finding's mean score was seventy-two point nine (x ̅ = 72.9). The findings demonstrated that social presence influences students' self-confidence, encourages them to learn more, and assists students in improving their speaking ability in speaking class.
... Yet another definition from Garrison (2008) describes social presence as "the ability of participants to identify with the community (e.g., course of study), communicate purposefully in a trusting environment, and develop interpersonal relationships by way of projecting their individual personalities" (from Arbaugh et al., 2008, 134). Whiteside (2007) offers a useful timeline for how definitions of social presence have evolved over time, beginning in 1969 by Short, Williams, & Christie when it was first used to describe how well a communication medium mediated "presentness" between two communicators (p. 4). ...
Delivering engaging and rigorous learning experiences in online environments has become a key priority for higher education institutions, driving prolific innovation in tools, pedagogy, and research over the last 20 years. The design and research of collaborative, networked learning experiences in particular has been fueled both by socially-turned theories of learning as well as the meteoric rise of social media and digital networks, which have introduced radical new forms of connectivity and sharing in daily life. In this dissertation, I offer three articles that each focus on one tool in the SuiteC collaborative learning system, a set of interconnected software applications designed to foster peer-to-peer sharing and collaborative, remix composing in a gamified environment. Looking across four semesters of student usage of the SuiteC tools in an online/hybrid undergraduate education course, I employ a mixed-methods approach grounded in “assemblage theory” that leverages learning analytics mined from the SuiteC database, content analysis of student artifacts, and student feedback to explore the kinds of social interactions and collaborations that emerged in the course. Findings suggest best practices and curricular strategies for the design of peer-centered online learning courses, recommendations for software tools, and the utility of assemblage concepts in studying complex sociotechnical systems.
... This negative sentiment about the apparent impersonal nature of online learning is not unique to OWI. It is a prominent issue in online education, and it also has been studied in terms of isolation in Internet communication and social presence in instructional communication (Aragon, 2003;Turkle, 2012;Whiteside, 2007). One also must consider morale with regard to accessibility issues because if students cannot access online materials or use course technologies, they certainly will be alienated from the rest of the class. ...
... There are a variety of models that have been used for different studies on learning, Social Presence model (SPM), Unified Theory of Use and Acceptance of Technology (UTUAT) and Technology Acceptance Model (TAM-1, 2, 3). The Social Presence Model (SPM) is based on programmatic research in social presence (Whiteside, 2007). It involves five elements that can help lecturers and students to improve the learning experience: Affective Association, Community Cohesion, Interaction Intensity, Knowledge and Experience, and Instructor Investment. ...
E-learning is an important trend globally that is believed to enhance the acquisition of knowledge by students within and outside the classroom to improve their academic pursuit. The Online Discussion Forum (ODF) is one of the tools that are used for e-learning in Nigerian universities. It facilitates interaction among postgraduate students as they can communicate and share information sources with one another to promote learning. However, the optimum use of this forum is determined by anchor factors in TAM 3 such as computer self-efficacy, perceptions of external control, computer anxiety and computer playfulness. A conceptual model based on TAM 3 was proposed and empirically tested. Using a survey research design and an online questionnaire for 121 Library and Information Science (LIS) postgraduate students, the paper demonstrated that computer self-efficacy, perceptions of external control, computer anxiety and computer playfulness have significant influence on the use of ODF. The paper therefore proposes that Online Discussion Forums should be encouraged for learning in postgraduate education.
... As a term within educational contexts, such as constructivist discourse and "meaning-centered education" meaning-making is a pivotal construct (Kovbasyuk and Blessinger, 2013;Whiteside, 2007;Jones and Brader-Araje, 2002;Hein, 1999;Jonassen et al., 1999;Jonassen et al., 1995;Driver and Oldham, 1986). While there is variation in emphasis within the constructivist literature there is evidence to suggest that meaning-making and constructivism are terms that have sometimes been conflated: ...
This conceptual paper problematizes a distinction between meaning-making and sense-making as activities that support learning. In framing this distinction, various theoretical perspectives on sense-making are introduced from a range of disciplines that have direct implication for the ongoing development of the digital environment designed specifically to support learning. The digital environment is replete with choices that enable communication, information-seeking, knowledge sharing, computation, and learning – all made possible by a diversity of technologies. Semantics have a significant computational role in this environment and making sense of it, amidst constantly emerging capabilities, represents opportunities for innovation as well as challenges for digital learning. While meaning-making has a pivotal role in knowledge construction in this environment it is argued that sense-making often precedes it, thereby indicating a specific role for sense-making technologies.
... Compared to a traditional classroom environment, students in an online learning environment could also have interactive meaningful communication using several types of responses such as Affective responses, Cohesive responses and Interactive responses [12]. Furthermore, in a computer conference, participants use emoticon to replace the nonverbal cues in written form [13] [14] [15] [16]. The use of these types of responses symbolizes the behavior of initiating social presence in online interaction. ...
... Using the coding scheme, the online transcripts will be analysed into three dimensions of social presence, which include Affective, Interactive, and Cohesive. In Affective Codes dimension, the online learning behaviour is coded based on the emotional connections shown among the students and teacher or instructor of the online learning system, such as through emotion, paralanguage, humor, sarcasm and self-disclosure codes [16]. On the contrary, Interactive codes record all active communication and learning activities involving students in CMC including the communication styles they are using, such as compliment or agreement, acknowledgment and inquiry [4] [16]. ...
... In Affective Codes dimension, the online learning behaviour is coded based on the emotional connections shown among the students and teacher or instructor of the online learning system, such as through emotion, paralanguage, humor, sarcasm and self-disclosure codes [16]. On the contrary, Interactive codes record all active communication and learning activities involving students in CMC including the communication styles they are using, such as compliment or agreement, acknowledgment and inquiry [4] [16]. ...
The purposes of this study are to identify students' perceptions on social presence on online learning and to investigate students' social presence in online learning. Next, this study will also identify students' social presence in online learning in relation to their academic performance. The respondents for this study will be 33 undergraduate students who enrolled in Authoring Language course. One of the most highlighted issues in online learning is interaction process that takes place between either learners and learners or learners and teacher. As mentioned by Badrinathan and Gole [1], online learning requires the teacher or the instructor to be responsible in ensuring that the learners interact with one another. The interaction will encourage the students to voice out their thoughts and respond towards others' idea through computer mediated communication (CMC). Given that social presence is likely related to feeling rather than reason [2], the sense of connectedness among learners would stimulate them to become more interactive in online learning. Hence, rather than trying to acquire the knowledge individually, learners would have much experience in sharing and cooperating with their peers in the whole process of learning. Furthermore, social presence is considered as one of the keys to the success of online learning [3] when it has great influence in online interaction, user satisfaction, depth of online discussions, online language learning and critical thinking [4]. This study will be implementing quantitative approach with triangulation of data from questionnaire and students' online transcript. Quantitative data from questionnaires will be analyzed using SPSS (Statistical Package for the Social Science). As for the online transcript, the data will be analyzed through content analysis technique. With the findings of this study, it is hoped that students, teachers or instructors and the administrations of higher educational institutions will be more a- are towards the importance of social presence in inculcating effective learning process via online system.
... Articles written in more recent times addressing social presence have espoused some excellent general ideas, but no actual frameworks to address the previously expressed research needs of media-rich social presence that leads to greater cognitive absorption. This article provides such a framework that combines Whiteside's (2007) five distinct elements of social presence and Dow's (2008a, b) grounded theory model of factors affecting social presence. In aligning these criteria along with reflective thought and practical applications of current media, one create a design guide to obtain higher-order-thinking, theoretically grounded directives and question prompts. ...
... First, Dow's (2008a, b) factors for affective social presence in an online course were aligned vertically in a table. Then Whiteside's (2007) five distinct elements of social presence were aligned horizontally in the table. Careful consideration of each of the factors and elements in direct relationship to each other produced opportunity to develop specific question and directive prompts infused with various forms of media conducive to online learning environments. ...
... When examining readily available online collaborative applications, such as wikis, presentations, or blogs, one can explore menu items and toolbar icons for greater understanding of the tool's features and affordances. Applying a tool's known affordances within the directed reflection of Whiteside's (2007) five elements and Dow's (2008a, b) grounded theory allows a designer opportunity to more deeply reflect upon applied practices in developing social presence design, rather than the text-based applications of the past (Kehrwald 2008;Leong 2011;Aragon 2003;Swan 2003). This process produces a media-rich social presence design guide, as generalized below. ...
Educators are seeing rapid developments in online instruction with regard to not only available technologies, but also in design and teaching practices. Developing and maintaining social presence in an online environment is paramount to the success of a learning environment. This article touches upon some historical perspectives of social presence and proposes a theoretical framework and design guide towards media-rich social presence practices for future research. The design guide in this article adds to the historically text-based social presence applications by posing media-rich, higher-level thinking questions based upon a grounded theoretical framework.
... "In our conception, the true direction of the development of thinking is not from the individual to the social but from the social to the individual" (Vygotsky, 1986, p. 36). Whiteside (2007) used Vygotsky as a guiding framework in her dissertation research on Exploring Social in Communities of Practice within a Hybrid Learning Environment. She found Vygotsky"s socio-cultural theory and the principles of "inner speech" and "zone of proximal development" as socially relevant learning concepts in computermediated educational environments. ...
... Rather, researchers continue to redefine the concept, making it difficult to arrive at any definite conclusions for both researchers and instructors (Lowenthal, 2010). Whiteside (2007) identified 12 variations of the social presence definition in the literature since 1969. Because of discrepancies, virtually every author in the field is obligated to define or re-define what social presence means. ...
... 136) Doctoral students have started to study and contribute to the work of Rourke et al. (1999). A dissertation by Aimee Whiteside (2007) explored social presence in communities of practice within a hybrid-learning environment. The author found that the coding data was not able to entirely define social presence. ...
... Sociocultural theories have a profound impact on the direction of research in education (Whiteside, 2007) and information science (Limberg & Alexandersson, 2010). The sociocultural approach to research is to explicate the relationships between human action and the cultural, institutional and historical contexts in which this action occurs (Wertsch, 1998). ...
... Due to the interactive nature of interviews, the method used in the research for this thesis has been used previously by other researchers who also adopted sociocultural theories (Boardman, 2004;Feddersen, 2007;Whiteside, 2007;Wood, 2004). In phase I, I conducted 21 qualitative individual face to face interviews at Universities A, B and C. All interviews lasted an average of 1 hour to 1.5 hours. ...
The issue of academic support remains a significant area of concern within open distance e-learning (ODeL) institutions. Therefore, this study aims to explore the perceptions and innovations pertaining to academic support, specifically in the academic language and literacy in English module (ENGX). Grounded in the social presence theory, the study investigates the pivotal role of social presence in promoting students’ engagement and academic success in ENGX module. The findings reveal that while lecturers generally hold a positive view of academic support in online higher education institutions, there is room for further enhancement, considering students’ expressed dissatisfaction. The findings also shed light on students’ apprehensions regarding limited engagement, accessibility challenges, and the pressures associated with misusing chat generative pre-trained transformer (ChatGPT). In contrast, lecturers emphasized the significance of fortifying presence and engagement to mitigate issues such as plagiarism. The pedagogical purpose of the paper is to enhance the understanding of academic support within the context of ODeL and explore innovative approaches to improving the educational experience in such a context.
