Social Presence Theory and Implications for Interaction and Collaborative Learning in Computer Conferences

TLDR

The study examines social presence theory in computer conferences and argues that moderators should foster online community to enhance interaction and collaborative learning. The authors discuss two studies that investigate whether social presence is an attribute of the medium or a perception of it. Although computer‑mediated communication lacks social cues, participants perceive it as interactive and stimulating, but this perception depends on the interactions and community sense formed during the conference.

Abstract

This paper examines research on social presence theory and the implications for analyzing interaction, communication, collaborative learning, and the social context of computermediated communication (CMC). Two studies that examined whether social presence is largely an attribute of the communication medium or users’ perception of the medium are discussed. It can be concluded from the results that even though CMC is considered to be a medium that is low in social context cues, it can be perceived as interactive, active, interesting, and stimulating by conference participants. However, it is the kind of interactions that take place between the participants, and the sense of community that is created during the conference, that will impact participants’ perceptions of CMC as a “social” medium. Therefore, the impetus falls upon the moderators of computer conferences to create a sense of online community in order to promote interaction and collaborative learning.