Building Social Presence in Online Education Through Course Design and Course Management: Continuing the Conversation Kia J. Bentley, Ph.D., LCSW Kia J. Bentley, Ph.D., LCSW School of Social Work School of Social Work

Social Presence Defined The extent to which persons are perceived as “real” and “connected” in mediated communication The degree to which experiences seem unmediated Evolved from “degree of salience” to “tangibility” and “proximity” to relational and affective connections that exist in mediated communication Now connected to intimacy, identity and community Consistently seen as “performative,” conveyed by visible activities of posting, commenting, responding and participating in group and community activities

Social Presence is…… Deeply rooted in the experiential, the subjective, and amorphous notions of human presence A central influence on teaching and learning success Conceptually and empirically linked to quality of online learning including participation, satisfaction and engagement An antidote to skepticism about online learning

A Basic Argument. The intentional enhancement of social presence can truly help transform learning in ways especially pertinent to the learning needs of students and many practice disciplines.

Professional practice is centered in: Connective capabilities Interpersonal exchanges Collaboration with peers and clients Shared problem- solving Shared decision- making Shared goal achievement

Constructivism Central Construct: We build knowledge and understanding through our interactions and experiences with others. Central Question(s) : From a constructivist perspective, how can we (how do we) create an environment that supports meaningful interpersonal interactions, active participation, and receptivity to the subjective experiences of others? How can we enhance this environment using virtual technologies?

Community of Inquiry Model Social Presence: The extent to which persons are perceived to be “real,” and able to be authentically “known” and “connected” to others. Teaching Presence: The structure and processes for learning, including creation of a plan for learning, direct teaching of content and basic facilitation of group discussion. Cognitive Presence: Paths through which students are led to deeper or higher levels of learning through strategies that help students explore, integrate, critically reflect on, clarify, analyze, and come to resolution about new knowledge. The Community of Inquiry Model is concerned with how these three dimensions come together to influence and support learning.

Where “Social Presence” Fits

Course Design Elements for Building Social Presence Video welcome and lesson overviews Student introductions and profiles Collaborative learning activities (Group Wikis, CLGs) Strong emphasis on peer feedback & exchange (Search Summarize & Share, Interview Reaction, Book Review, Case Presentation)

Components of Social Presence and Their Cues in Discussion Boards, Announcements, s and Lessons Affective Responses Open and Interactive Communication Cohesive Responses Expression of emotion Humor, teasing, cajoling Self-disclosure & expression of values Paralanguage Explicit use of feeling words Risk-taking & being vulnerable Probing questions Expressing (dis)agreement Giving affirmations/praise Offering advice Referring to other’s comments Self-reflections Contribute to connection and sustaining relationships Offering personal greetings Referring to group as “we” “us” Inviting feedback Sharing tangential information

Assessing Success To what extent was communication characterized by the cues? To what extent did students offer hints to their identities beyond “student”? What were levels of sharing around their personal histories (their culture, education, experience)? How much did you get to know the unique personality of individual students (their attitudes, demeanor, and sense of humor)? How much sharing was there around their personal circumstances (location, family situation, professional contexts)? To what extent did students talk about what they were learning from each other? Did you as an instructor offer or create these opportunities for social presence to thrive? How much student appreciation for peer sharing was expressed?

A Summative Question at Semester’s End Post here any reflections you have about the most important aspects of your learning for the semester. What really resonated for you? What do you think will be the most useful? What have you learned about the power of sharing stories, experiences and resources with your peers and what are the implications of that for your professional development? What will you do to continuing learning and growing in knowledge and skills related to social work and psychopharmacology? How can you maintain the values and philosophy around recovery and partnership that were integral to the course?

Appreciating the Tensions Maintain a supportive, accepting nurturing milieu Decrease distance & share power Value shared intellectual community Co-construction of learning Need to set high academic standards Hold students accountable for participation and indeed facilitation of learning The reality of “space” between participants and concomitant room for interpretation

Future Research In General What are the relationships among social presence, cognitive presence, and teaching presence? How will we define the “cues” and expanding the components? What are the most effective techniques and strategies for building social presence? How to social presence and student engagement overlap and relate? What is the connection to “Quality Matters” criteria?

Future Research in Professional Education Does social presence influence perceptions of the importance of peer relationships in everyday decision-making in real world practice? How does social presence influence deep appreciation of diverse thought and experience? How does social presence relate to the “use of self” by students? How are the assets of social presence translated into the development of professional skills?

What resonated most today? What will you remember? Thanks for your attendance today Please offer comments and reactions (even critical ones) What resonated ? What do we/you need to think more about?