Resource Sharing Blog #3

Resource Sharing Blog #3

Encouraging social presence and a sense of community in a virtual residential school

Kathleen Robinson

ISSN: 02680513

http://web.ebscohost.com.cucproxy.cuchicago.edu/ehost/detail?vid=4&hid=8&sid=b216f17f-40bb-4cc4-b146-962c49c8da38%40sessionmgr11&bdata=JkF1dGhUeXBlPWNvb2tpZSxpcCxjcGlkJmN1c3RpZD1zODQxOTIzOSZzaXRlPWVob3N0LWxpdmU%3d#db=tfh&AN=39359561

Online Learning-Benefits & Challenges

This week’s reading introduces the less technical and more social component of online learning communities. The differences between traditional and distance learning are explored, with a great deal of emphasis placed on the interactions among faculty, students, and collaborative learning that takes place.  Psychological and physical limitations, such as internet addictions, lack of visual and verbal cues, carpal tunnel syndrome, and other physical ailments are discussed. Social presence, which is basically an online learner’s portrayal of themselves as a ‘real’ person (Pallett & Pratt, 2007) is explored in great depth.

Can Social Presence Be Measured?

In her article, Kathleen Robinson reports on a study held at The Open University in the UK.  Through its research the school found that traditional residential schools obtained high ratings for helpfulness  and impact on educational goals.  Faced with the comments of “lack of motivation for face-to-face contact”(Robinson, 2009) the school attempted to measure an increase in social presence by adding an optional feature to one of its virtual residential school (VRS) classes. Students in a psychology class were given the chance to download interviews with working psychologists in the field and then participate in online asynchronous discussions.  Out of the nearly 600 students enrolled in the class, almost 200 took part in this optional activity.  While 23 participants engaged in the online discussion, 110 students read the posts.  

Using a social presence model which takes in to consideration the affective, interactive, and cohesive factors of online or distance learning, (Roarke et al, 1999) the activity logs of the detailed analysis of the First Class software and Moodle platform, indicate that although the elements of social presence were consistently present, more students were listening rather than contributing to the chats.  Those who participated in the extended interview activity generally found it interesting and helpful, and the survey data  indicated the students benefitted.

Analysis

In both our assigned reading and in Robinson’s article, the concept of social presence is explored.  The social components of online learning, collaboration, and community are seen as the contributing factors to success in distance learning.  It is not just what you learn but how you learn.  I was absolutely fascinated by the readings, not only because the material is so new to me, but also by the thought, preparation, and research that goes into online learning.  Virtual learning has come quite a distance since I took an online physics class in 1989,  when internet accessibility was the exception, rather than the norm.

References

Palloff, R., & Pratt, K. (2007). Building Online Learning Communities-Effective Strategies for the Virtual 

     Classroom. San Francisco, CA: John Wiley & Sons, Inc.(Jossey-Bass).

Roarke, L., Anderson, T., Garrison, D>R>, & Archer, W. (1999) Assessing social presence in    

     asynchronous text-based computer conferencing.  The Journal of Distance Education, 14(2), 50-71.

Robinson, K. (2009) Encouraging social presence and a sense of community in a virtual residential school.  Open Learning, 24(2), 127-139.