Prove You Are Not a Dog

2019 ◽  
pp. 201-216
Author(s):  
David J. Mulder
Keyword(s):  
Social Presence ◽  
Online Course ◽  
Instructional Designers ◽  
Online Classroom ◽  
Sense Of Presence ◽  
Desirable Feature ◽  
Real Person

Learning online can be isolating for students. Some students may prefer to be anonymous—on the outset, at least—until they feel comfortable participating in the course. Many instructors value interaction between students or between the student and the instructor, and without a sense of “presence” in the online classroom, some students will be reticent to participate. It is thus incumbent on instructors and instructional designers to create courses that foster interaction between users to develop this sense of being “a real person” online. This chapter examines the concept of social presence, articulates reasons high social presence is a desirable feature in an online course, and provides examples instructors and designers might draw upon for developing social presence in their own courses.

Exploring Social Presence in the Culturally Diverse Online Classroom

2018 ◽  
pp. 67-85
Author(s):  
Debra K. Smith
Keyword(s):  
Student Perceptions ◽  
Social Presence ◽  
Culturally Diverse ◽  
Single Case ◽  
Online Communication ◽  
Faculty Training ◽  
Instructional Designers ◽  
Online Classroom ◽  
Course Scheduling ◽  
Student Preference

This qualitative single-case study explored student perceptions associated with social presence in a graduate online course of culturally diverse learners. Findings included themes that align with Hofstede's (1984, 2011) cultural relationship domain indicating student preference for construction of schedules to create a cohort where students can stay together through future courses. Tu's (2000) online communication dimension was supported with findings of email and phone communication as the top two ways students prefer to interact with faculty. The feedback area of the LMS was a surprising third element in ratings and the number one ranking for documented weekly social interaction with the instructor. Specific challenges to social presence were language barriers, reported by all students in the class. Implications are presented for instructors, instructional designers, institution policy, course scheduling and faculty training initiatives.

scholarly journals Student Perceptions of the Use of Multimedia for Online Course Communication

2017 ◽  
Vol 21 (3) ◽  
Author(s):  
Laura Portolese ◽  
Julie Bonner
Keyword(s):  
Student Perceptions ◽  
Social Presence ◽  
Computer Mediated Communication ◽  
Multimedia Communications ◽  
Online Course ◽  
Mediated Communication ◽  
Computer Mediated ◽  
Online Classrooms ◽  
Perceptions Of Students ◽  
Real Person

A great deal of research exists in the use of multimedia communications in online classrooms as a means of furthering student engagement. However, little research exists that examines the perceptions of students when such technologies are used. Additionally, it is unclear that students are likely to engage in the use of such technologies when available. This research explores the perceptions of 69 students taking both online and hybrid undergraduate project management courses. Specifically, the study seeks to explore how students experienced the use of multimedia by their instructor and classmates in both online announcements and discussions, as well as whether these same students used or would be likely to use multimedia for similar communications. Finally, student perceptions of social presence, the degree to which one is perceived as a real person in computer-mediated communication (Gunawardena, 1995), are examined. The results of the study indicate that while students overwhelming enjoy the instructor’s use of multimedia communication, they are unlikely to engage in using these technologies themselves. A discussion of these results and recommendations for further research complete this paper.

scholarly journals Social Presence, Web Videoconferencing and Learning in Virtual Teams

2009 ◽  
Vol 23 (4) ◽  
pp. 301-309 ◽  
Author(s):  
Bas Giesbers ◽  
Bart Rienties ◽  
Wim H. Gijselaers ◽  
Mien Segers ◽  
Dirk T. Tempelaar
Keyword(s):  
Virtual Teams ◽  
Emotional Expression ◽  
Social Presence ◽  
Discussion Board ◽  
Online Course ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Audiovisual Communication ◽  
Online Classroom ◽  
Social And Emotional ◽  
Learning Satisfaction

The potential of information technology to facilitate collaboration in education has grown considerably in recent years. The use of Web videoconferencing, whereby learners in an online classroom can simultaneously collaborate using audiovisual communication tools, increases the learner's ability in social and emotional expression, thus improving communication which may enhance learning satisfaction. This paper compares two cohorts of students who attended the same online course in economics. Both could communicate via a discussion board and one cohort had the additional opportunity to participate in Web conferences. Contrary to expectations, learning satisfaction did not seem to increase with the introduction of Web videoconferencing. This finding leads to several questions for future research.

scholarly journals Bridging Disciplines with a New and Interactive Online Course: Drug & Nutrient Interactions

2020 ◽  
Vol 4 (Supplement_2) ◽  
pp. 604-604
Author(s):  
Sara Police ◽  
Jessie Hoffman,
Keyword(s):  
Student Engagement ◽  
Course Design ◽  
Online Course ◽  
Instructional Designers ◽  
Due Dates ◽  
Nutrient Interactions ◽  
University Of Kentucky ◽  
Student Cohorts ◽  
Graduate Certificate ◽  
Nutritional Sciences

Abstract Objectives The purpose of this project was to design, develop and implement an online two-credit course, Drug & Nutrient Interactions, as an elective for a new online Graduate Certificate in Applied Nutrition and Culinary Medicine at the University of Kentucky. Methods Drug & Nutrient Interactions was designed to meet the needs of select student cohorts: undergraduate Pharmacology minors, graduate students enrolled in the Masters in Nutritional Sciences program, and online graduate certificate students. Faculty within the Dept. of Pharmacology and Nutritional Sciences and the Division of Clinical Nutrition were consulted to identify curricular gaps and to avoid redundancy across programs. Instructional designers were consulted to identify evidence-based best practices in online course design and teaching. Results Content of the Drug and Nutrient Interactions course is structured within four thematic modules: 1. Introduction to Pharmacology and Food & Drug Interactions, 2. Exploring Drug-Nutrient Interactions, 3. Genes, Bugs & Time, and 4. Current and Future Directions in Nutrition & Pharmacology. Each module is three to four weeks in duration, to span a 14-week semester. Each week, students’ tasks include reading, watching, writing, and reviewing content related to the student learning objectives. Methods to promote student engagement with the content recur week-to-week, to ensure consistency for students’ experience. An eBook was written by the instructors to provide a current and interdisciplinary review of the intersections of nutritional sciences and pharmacology in the course. In lieu of proctored online exams, module-level assignments assess students’ achievement of learning outcomes. Drug & Nutrient Interactions launched in fall 2019 with nine students enrolling and completing the course. Course analytics track student engagement by logging page views and participation. Increasing students’ page views and participation align with due dates for module assignments. Therefore - in spring 2020, deadlines were shifted to a weekly timeline to foster consistent engagement. Conclusions Instructors should explore various methods to foster student-content, student-student and student-instructor engagement in an online learning environment. Funding Sources This course project was funded by a UK Online award & an Alternative Textbook grant.

Ludic Learning

2013 ◽  
Vol 5 (2) ◽  
pp. 20-33 ◽  
Author(s):  
Aleshia T. Hayes ◽  
Carrie L. Straub ◽  
Lisa A. Dieker ◽  
Charlie E. Hughes ◽  
Michael C. Hynes
Keyword(s):  
Virtual Environments ◽  
User Experience ◽  
Social Presence ◽  
Mixed Reality ◽  
Emerging Technologies ◽  
Emerging Technology ◽  
Sense Of Presence ◽  
Suspension Of Disbelief

New and emerging technology in the field of virtual environments has permitted a certain malleability of learning milieus. These emerging environments allow learning and transfer through interactions that have been intentionally designed to be pleasurable experiences. TLE TeachLivE™ is just such an emerging environment that engages teachers in practice on pedagogical and content aspects of teaching in a simulator. The sense of presence, engagement, and ludus of TLE TeachLivE™ are derived from the compelling Mixed Reality that includes components of off-the shelf and emerging technologies. Some of the noted features that have been identified relevant to the ludic nature of TeachLivE include the flow, fidelity, unpredicability, suspension of disbelief, social presence, and gamelike elements. This article explores TLE TeachLivE™ in terms of the ludology, paideic user experience, the source of the ludus, and outcomes of the ludic nature of the experience.

scholarly journals ON THE NATURE AND DEVELOPMENT OF SOCIAL PRESENCE IN ONLINE COURSE DISCUSSIONS

2019 ◽  
Vol 9 (3) ◽  
Author(s):  
Karen Swan ◽  
Li Fang Shih
Keyword(s):  
Student Satisfaction ◽  
Social Presence ◽  
Course Design ◽  
Online Courses ◽  
Computer Mediated Communication ◽  
Online Discussions ◽  
Influential Factor ◽  
Online Course ◽  
Mediated Communication ◽  
Quantitative Results

“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.

scholarly journals A MOOC approach for training researchers in developing countries

Open Praxis ◽  
2017 ◽  
Vol 9 (1) ◽  
pp. 45 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ravi Murugesan ◽  
Andy Nobes ◽  
Joanna Wild
Keyword(s):  
Developing Countries ◽  
Social Presence ◽  
Developing World ◽  
Continuing Professional Development ◽  
Cognitive Presence ◽  
Online Course ◽  
Research Writing ◽  
Massive Open Online ◽  
Massive Open Online Course ◽  
Professional Development Training

We report on an online course in research writing offered in a massive open online course (MOOC) format for developing country researchers. The concepts of cognitive presence, teacher presence, and social presence informed the design of the course, with a philosophy of strong social interaction supported by guest facilitators. The course was developed with low-bandwidth elements and hosted on a Moodle site. It was offered twice as a MOOC and 2830 learners from more than 90 countries, mainly in the developing world, took part. The average completion rate was 53%. Female learners and learners who were active in the forums were more likely to complete the course. Our MOOC approach may be a useful model for continuing professional development training in the developing world.

Bridging the Gap with Distance Education Students

2014 ◽  
pp. 294-307
Author(s):  
Alaattin Parlakkilic
Keyword(s):  
Social Presence ◽  
Teaching And Learning ◽  
Cognitive Theory ◽  
Theoretical Models ◽  
Education Students ◽  
Sense Of Presence ◽  
Emotional Aspects ◽  
Different Dimensions ◽  
Being There ◽  
Behavior And Cognition

Presence, a sense of “being there,” is critical to the success of designing, teaching, and learning at a distance using both synchronous and asynchronous (blended) technologies. Until recently, presence has been defined and discussed in terms of behavioral or cognitive theory. Emotional aspects of presence have been largely ignored. A theory of presence must incorporate emotions and take into consideration their interaction with behavior and cognition. In order to create, convey, and/or experience a sense of presence, it is necessary to become familiar with and take into consideration the types, modes, determinants, and dimensions of presence. In addition, it is important to recognize that when others sense your existence, it may enhance your individual sense of presence and your differentiation of self and experience of self. Further, continuing to experience and practice with technologies, in groups and sharing with others, a sense of presence will most likely increase. Presence will also be affected by expectations based on prior experience; as expectations rise, it refines ways in which presence can be experienced. Throughout this process, trust and support are critical. The concept of presence has been conceptualized differently across various theoretical models. Different dimensions of the presence in the literature can be grouped in three main categories as (place) presence, social presence, and co-presence. Presence is explored in this chapter.

The Human Element MOOC

2015 ◽  
pp. 373-391 ◽  
Author(s):  
Whitney Kilgore ◽  
Patrick R. Lowenthal
Keyword(s):  
Online Education ◽  
Social Presence ◽  
Online Courses ◽  
Cognitive Presence ◽  
Online Course ◽  
Massive Open Online ◽  
Open Network ◽  
Massive Open Online Course ◽  
Human Element ◽  
Instructor Presence

The Human Element Massive Open Online Course (MOOC) on the Canvas open network was designed to be a connectivist experience exploring methods for the humanization of online education. This MOOC introduced and discussed methods that faculty could adopt in order to potentially increase instructor presence, social presence, and cognitive presence within their own online courses. The design of the MOOC and the learners' perceptions of social presence after taking part in this MOOC are discussed in this chapter.

Creating a Culture of Engagement

2015 ◽  
pp. 302-323
Author(s):  
Katherine Erdman Becker
Keyword(s):  
Social Presence ◽  
Online Teaching ◽  
Online Faculty ◽  
Hybrid Courses ◽  
Online Classroom ◽  
Face To Face ◽  
Use Of Technology ◽  
Communication Processes ◽  
Traditional Courses ◽  
Face To Face Instruction

Many online faculty members pattern their teaching after traditional models of face-to-face instruction. However, these models fail to support meaningful content delivery and interaction in today's online classroom. This chapter discusses faculty development efforts that serve to cultivate effective online teaching practices. Presenting the communication processes and technical skills necessary to create social presence in online and hybrid courses, the chapter equips both novice and experienced instructors with the tools required to redesign traditional courses for online delivery, to deliver quality instruction, and to promote strong interaction. Teaching strategies and adult learning theory are explored. The appropriate use of technology to achieve desired student learning outcomes is also discussed. In addition, instructors' concerns and attitudes towards the implementation of social presence strategies in online learning are examined.

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