Technology Transformations Online Learning and Social Interaction - Course Technology Computing Conference Presenter: Michele Hampton-Pickett, Cuyahoga Community College Research has found that social interactions support effective online learning experiences. Rich media tools, thoughtful student-student and student-teacher interactions, and concept scaffolding underpin successful use of technology in the online learning environment. Examples of these tools - avatars, narrated solved problems, digital storytelling, virtual whiteboards, YouTube and other instructional videos, and student work groups - and how to properly incorporate them into an online course will be presented. The discussion will include interactive questions and answers, audience contribution, and demonstration of media tools.

1. Technology Transformations
Online Learning and Social Interaction
Michele Hampton-Pickett, PhD

2. A lack of social interaction has been noted as a primary barrier to
online learning from the students’ perspective
Online learning
can present
educational
challenges
Online learning
increases
educational
access

3. Social Presence Construct
Interaction
Bonds
Social
Presence
The ability of participants in a
community to project
themselves, socially and
emotionally, as real people
through a medium of
communication

4. Social presence was first introduced by Short, Williams and Christie in 1976
explained the effect telecommunications media can have on communication
defined social presence as the degree of salience between two communicators
using a communication medium
they believed that a medium with a high degree of social presence was perceived
as being sociable, warm, and personal

5. Research supports the need for social interaction
Social interaction in
the online course
room directly
correlates with
student achievement
Positive student
interaction builds a
sense of community
and
belonging, which
results in a positive
attitude regarding
the online course
room experience
A sense of
community or
belonging to a group
leads to student
success and learning
Social Interaction

6. Interaction is the glue that holds the learning stage components
together
Real-time
conversations Student-InstructorOrganized
instruction
Student-Student
Student-Content
Timely feedback
Visual presence of
professor
Easily
communicate
Group workVisual presence of
classmates
Screen sharingVideoAudioPowerPoint

7. Stages of Learning
Introduction
Reinforcement
Mastery

8. • Expert in a live format without face-to-face interaction
• Interactive discussions
• Group tasks
• Memorization
• Instructor oversight required
• Self-assessment
• Instructor assessment
• Student presentations
Introduction Reinforcement Mastery

9. Introduction Reinforcement
Podcast
Create Podcast
Avatar
Multimedia videosNarrated PowerPoint
Content
Modules
Expert in a live format without face-to-face interaction

10. Interactive
discussions
Memorization
Group tasks
Instructor oversight
required
Video
conferencing
Electronic
flashcards
Remote polling
Prezi

11. Student presentations and assessment
Electronic
storytelling
Video
conferencing
Multimedia
videos
Online
Posterboard

12. Concluding Remarks
Reducing the psychological distance felt by online students is rooted in the ability of
those students “getting to know” their online classmates and their instructor
Course design should be focused on increasing meaningful and authentic interactions
Instructional design should be used to encourage online students to interact socially
and academically with each other and their instructor, thereby enriching their learning
experiences
Instructor intervention is required to encourage students to exhibit intimate and
immediate behaviors with each other

13. References
• Argyle, M. and Dean, J. (1965). Eye contact, distance and affiliation. Sociometry, 28, 289-304.
• Cobb, S. (2009). Social Presence and Online Learning: A Current View from a Research Perspective. Journal of Interactive Online
Learning, 8(3), 241-254.
• Conaway, R. N., Easton, S. S., & Schmidt, W. V. (2005, March). Strategies for enhancing student interaction and immediacy in
online courses. Business Communication Quarterly, 68, 23-35.
• Garrison, D. R., and T. Anderson. 2003. E-learning in the 21st century: A framework for research and practice. New York:
Routledge Falmer.
• Kim, J., Kwon, Y. & Cho, D. (2011). Investigating factors that influence social presence and learning outcomes in distance higher
education. Computers & Education, 57, 1512-1520.
• Mehrabian, A. (1971). Silent messages. Belmont, CA: Wadsworth.
• Short, J., Williams, E., & Christie, B. (1976). The social psychology of telecommunications. London: John Wiley & Sons.
• Sung, E. and Mayer, R. (2012). Five facets of social presence in online distance education. Computers in Human
Behavior, 28, 1738-1747.

14. CUYAHOGA COMMUNITY COLLEGE
CLEVELAND, OHIO
Michele Hampton-Pickett, PhD