In order to create an authentic online learning environment it is critical that all stakeholders collaborate and work towards creating a social presence in the online community. “Social Presence” is all about each individual making their “online self” more real to the other members of the group; likewise the learner is creating an identity in order to more effectively share who they are as a learner with the other members of the group to create a more effective and “personal” group experience where learners truly feel like they are not just interacting with “ghost people” but with real people with real identities and personalities. (Palloff & Pratt, 2007).
While it is essential that students work toward developing a sense of social presence, as with most practices in education the modeling begins with the instructor. The instructor must act more like a facilitator of learning and create avenues which allow the learners in the community to interact in an open, respectful, thoughtful, academic yet personal way. Instructors and learners must work together as balanced partners in the development of the online environment, as it is the learners who are know how they learn best. (Palloff & Pratt, 2007, p. 22-23) Although we know this is an essential component to effective online learning, building social presence is difficult and can be problematic for many learners.
Karen Kear, in her 2010 article “Social Presence in online learning communities” explains that a diminished sense of social presence might create avoidance, or lack of participation in online discussions which may eventually cause a sense of separation between the student and the online learning community. Instructors or facilitators can help prevent this issue by helping students feel like they are a valued part of the online class by allowing students to communicate in various formats; this way students will be more likely to build a strong social presence. Both Kear (2010) and Palloff (2007) stress the importance of blending face-to-face, asynchronous, and synchronous communication as essential to not only building social presence, but a strong, functioning online learning environment.
Palloff states “…that an initial face-to-face meeting can be helpful to orient students to the online environment and technology in use.” (p. 32) After this initial meeting, students may have a stronger connection and sense of belonging and trust not only to the instructor, but more importantly to their fellow learners. This preliminary connection allows for further social presence and growth during the online portion of their education. By folding in synchronous chatting with asynchronous forums, students can establish a solid social presence during their online learning experiences.
Resources
Kear, K. (2010). Social presence in online learning communities. In L. Dirckinck-Holmfeld, V. Hodgson, C. Jones, M. de Laat, D.
Palloff, R. M., & Pratt, K. (2007). Building Online Learning Communities Effective Strategies for the Virtual Classroom. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.
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