Eden 2006 Vienna

Networking or Notworking?Building Social Presence into Digital Learning Environments

Steve WheelerUniversity of PlymouthUnited Kingdom

Building Social Presence

Up to 50% of students drop out of distance

courses before Completion

(Moore & Kearsley, 1996)

Building Social Presence

High attrition rates are often blamed on loss of

student motivation, social isolation or

technical problems

Building Social Presence

The most successful DEcourses are those in

which social interactionis a dominant or pervasive feature

(Muilenberg & Berge, 2005)

Building Social Presence

Social presence is an important feature of any

successful learning activity within a digital learning environment

Social presence is the perception that one is

communicating with people rather than with

inanimate objects

(Short et al, 1976)

Building Social Presence

Without a perception of connectedness students

can feel isolated and demotivated

Building Social Presence

Perception of distance should be seen as psychological not

physical

Moore (1993)

Building Social Presence

Tutors should aim to provide an online equivalency to f2f

experiences

(Simonson, 1999)

Building Social Presence

Perceptions of distance can be

amplified or reduced through technology

Building Social Presence

Building Social Presence

SocialPresence

Autonomy

Surface

Tenacity

.12

-.30*

-.65*

.02

.82

1.32*

Face to Face Model

n = 305

Building Social Presence

SocialPresence

Autonomy

Surface

Tenacity

.11

-.84*

-.15

.73*

1.75

.48

Telephone Model

n = 51

Building Social Presence

SocialPresence

Autonomy

Surface

Tenacity

.66*

-.05

-.27*

-1.94

.50

.40

E-Mail Model

n = 51

Recommendations

Integration of technologies for

mobile learning in a seamless and

‘transparent’ way

Recommendations

Convergence of 3 Technologies

Provide ‘humanising’ aspects of online learning such as

recognisable human contacts

(e.g. webcasting)

Recommendations

Webcasting

• Live or recorded lectures

• Accompanying media (e.g. PowerPoint; DVD)

• Text based interaction

• Video on demand

Tutors should respond as quickly as possible to questions from remote learners

Recommendations

Students should be encouraged to take

part in collaboration online: (e.g. group

problem solving; wikis, threaded

discussion)

Recommendations

Students need a social space - a facility that

should be built into any managed learning

environment

Recommendations

Tutors should recognise differences in study

approaches and cater for as many as possible within the design of courseware,

guidance and tutorial support

Recommendations

Actively encourage students to participate

in regular group postings, and even to

moderate the discussions

Recommendations

Thank you for listening

Steve WheelerSenior Lecturer in ICT and Education

steve.wheeler@plymouth.ac.ukwww2.plymouth.ac.uk/distancelearning