Title: Online social presence and its correlation with learning

Authors: Paul Kawachi

Addresses: Open University of China, 75 Fuxing Lu, Beijing 100039, China

Abstract: Social media operate through telepresence and so-called online social presence. This paper explores how well online social presence is indeed correlated with achieved quality of academic learning. The key issue lies in appropriately defining the concept of social presence. The term social presence is overused in the literature where now two dozen expressions involve the term presence. Various models for online education have been proposed. The most promising is the transactional distance model that reflects the linear narrative process of learning. This is based on well-established theories including the theory of transactional distance, conversation theory, and the current leading paradigm of constructionism. In this model, social presence is seen as important in the early stage carrying the student from being an outsider to becoming an insider in the online community. Social presence can be measured, and is re-defined as involving a mix of teacher presence (not teaching presence), learner presence, and some cognitive presence. The essential roles of social media and social presence are reported, and after exploring the correlation with achieved learning, some implications are suggested for online tutors and students.

Keywords: social presence; social media; telepresence; transactional distance; online learning; learning presence; teaching presence; community of inquiry; CoI; online presence; academic learning; conversation theory; constructionism; e-learning; electronic learning; higher education.

DOI: 10.1504/IJSMILE.2013.051653

International Journal of Social Media and Interactive Learning Environments, 2013 Vol.1 No.1, pp.19 - 31

Received: 03 Sep 2012
Accepted: 06 Sep 2012
Published online: 28 Feb 2014 *

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