Share Paper: What Social Presence is, what it isn’t, and how to measure it: A work in progress

  1. Joshua Weidlich, FernUniversität in Hagen, Germany
  2. Karel Kreijns, Open University, Heerlen, Netherlands
  3. Kamakshi Rajagopal, Open University, Heerlen, Netherlands
  4. Theo Bastiaens, FernUniversität in Hagen, Germany
Tuesday, June 26 12:30 PM-1:00 PM Oost

Abstract: In educational settings that rely in large part on computer-mediated communication, like online learning and computer-supported collaborative learning, social presence is considered an important aspect of the learning experience. However, because there are many definitions and operationalizations in the literature, there is confusion as to what social presence actually is and how it affects learning in mediated spaces. In this paper, we argue for a clear definition that is rooted in its original conception by Short, Williams, & Christie (1976) emphasizing ‘realness’ of the other in the interaction. We present a social presence scale using Rasch analyses to validate the ...