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Week 8 Post

Writer's picture: Brian HoodBrian Hood
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Richardson and Swan (2003), in “Examining Social Presence in Online Courses in Relation to Students’ Perceived Learning and Satisfaction,” investigate the role of social presence in online learning environments, specifically how it relates to students’ perceived learning and satisfaction. The study found that students who perceived a higher level of social presence in online courses felt more connected to their instructors and peers, which in turn led to higher satisfaction and a stronger sense of learning. Social presence is defined as the feeling of being “real” in a virtual environment, and the paper highlights how this affects student engagement. The authors emphasize that building social connections in online courses is just as crucial as teaching content, as it significantly impacts the student experience. Without this sense of connection, students may feel as if instructors are merely phoning it in, leading to disengagement and a lack of meaningful learning.

The strength of Richardson and Swan’s article lies in its clear, data-driven analysis of how social presence impacts student satisfaction and learning in online courses. By using surveys to gather students’ perspectives, the authors provide meaningful insights into how feeling connected to instructors and peers shapes the overall online learning experience. Their use of established methods, like Likert scales and the social presence scale, grounded in communication and learning theories, adds credibility to their findings. What makes the article especially valuable to educators is its focus on practical strategies, such as boosting instructor engagement and encouraging more personalized communication to create a sense of connection. These strategies offer clear guidance for educators looking to improve their online courses by making students feel more involved. The data is presented in a straightforward way, with strong statistical backing, which makes the study both reliable and highly relevant to anyone interested in improving online learning environments.

This article struck a chord with my research interests, particularly with the introduction of a new term (to me): “immediacy.” I was not familiar with it before, but it turns out it’s exactly what I’ve been searching for without realizing it. It resonated deeply with me because it seems to offer a lasting approach to improving online education by focusing on building meaningful, personal connections. After exploring opposing viewpoints (Baker, 2010 & Campbell, 2014) from recent articles on teacher presence and immediacy, I’m even more convinced that fostering these connections can prevent learners from just “going through the motions” (a phrase I often use because it perfectly captures the issue I’m focused on in improving both CI and OL education) for the sake of earning a certification. Instead, it can help them truly learn. This deeper understanding of immediacy and presence will now guide how I approach quality assurance for new courses, ensuring we prioritize methods that genuinely engage students.

APA CITATION
Baker, C. (2010). The Impact of Instructor Immediacy and Presence for Online Student Affective Learning, Cognition, and Motivation. Journal of Educators Online, 7(1), 1–30. https://doi-org.cmich.idm.oclc.org/10.9743/JEO.2010.1.2

Campbell, D. E. (2014). The influence of teacher immediacy behaviors on student performance in an online course (and the problem of method variance). Teaching of Psychology, 41(2), 163–166. https://doi.org/10.1177/0098628314530351 

Richardson, J. C., & Swan, K. (2003). Examining social presence in online courses in relation to students’ perceived learning and satisfaction. Journal of Asynchronous Learning Networks, 7(1), 68-88.








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