Fostering Social Presence in Asynchronous Online Class Discussions

Abstract

The study examined the role of social presence in relation to students' perception of online asynchronous learning. Specifically, this study (a) examined the magnitude of the relationship between students' perceptions of social presence and their satisfaction with online class discussions, (b) investigated students' online behaviors which contributed to their own projected social presence, and (c) explored factors influencing students' perceptions of social presence, and the relationship between students' perceptions of others and their own projected presence in online course discussions. The study closes by exploring the implications for its findings for learning and teaching in online asynchronous learning environments.