Social Presence and Online Learning: A Current View from a Research Perspective

TLDR

Online education is rapidly expanding, yet research on students' experiences—particularly the role of social presence—remains limited. This article discusses findings from a recent study using the Social Presence and Satisfaction instruments to examine online learning. The authors analyze background literature on social presence and its application to online learning. Results show students feel comfortable interacting online, report satisfaction, and confirm the reliability and validity of the Social Presence and Satisfaction scales.

Abstract

While the development of online education has been progressing rapidly, further research is needed on the experiences of students in online courses. One concept that has been explored in relation to the quality of the online learning experience is social presence, the degree to which a person is perceived as “real” in mediated communication. The purpose of this article is to discuss the findings regarding the Social Presence and Satisfaction instruments (Gunawardena & Zittle, 1997) used in a recent research study focusing on online learning. Background literature regarding social presence and existing studies of this construct in relation to online learning are analyzed. Descriptive statistics for the Social Presence Scale and Satisfaction Scale are presented and show that students in online courses feel comfortable relating and interacting in the online environment, and are satisfied with online courses. Findings support the continued reliability and validity of these scales and encourage further use of these scales in educational research.