The social presence in the E-learning environments might sound as if it was removing the staid nuance of any course or unit of study should have, but what this looks for exactly is to give a more human meaning to learning processes in Multimedia. This means that being exposed to so many technological resources which can be used to apparently learn independently makes people more isolated of human social contact.
The fact that there are studies that intend to assess the social presence in multimedia learning environments, takes me to think how could be created a friendly and controlled environment in which a set of basic rules of respect and behavior are established, considering that there are always conceptual and ideological differences that each person defends based on solid arguments that mainly lead is to build new knowledge and ideas.
In order to achieve the above conditions (McFadzean and Mckenzie 2001 as cited in Hughes et al 2007) suggest that design and process issues of course delivery should be studied with careful attention. Course design has to embrace team development, dynamic and trust issues, while the direction of the process requires a permanent assessment of the group progress. There must be a teacher or facilitator who sets a friendly and respectful learning environment. He/she has to promote a fluent communication and also becomes a role model in the process. This means that she / he must be the first member of the group in establishing socialization, giving feedback to inquiries in a short time response in order to keep the thread and to encourage the students with the search for new information or discoveries in the field too.
The diagram illustrates the best way to see a program or course which seeks basically the manifestation of emotions or natural human feelings through multimedia learning environments, with the purpose of maintaining some social behaviors that normally occur in the classroom.
It can be seen that the teaching presence in the diagram is presented as the actor who gives directions and establishes the rules. On the one hand the selection of content leads to cognitive presence and on the other hand the setting climate is connected with the social presence that is where communication among participants is created. Finally, in the center of the diagram there are two essential elements. First, the supporting discourse that is confrontation of ideas that occurs between the members of the group based on the specific knowledge and professional and personal experiences through a friendly and respectful communication. And second, educational experience that is no more than the desired outcomes meeting the expectations of the whole process of learning that can be reflected on the apprehension of knowledge and the construction of new ideas. Thus, I can say that E-learning programs can be functional based on the use of social presence.
In the study ¨assessing social presence in online discussion groups¨ Hughes (2007) three categories were established (affective, interactive, cohesive) and some indicators to encode the most common written language used in the online learning groups. This time I will look at one of the indicators that caught my attention as an issue which is ¨The use of humour¨ and the definition is ¨teasing, cajoling, irony, understatements, Sarcasm¨ (Figure 2. Rourke et al.'s 1999 Social Presence coding template as cited in Hughes, 2007). This indictor is part of the affective category. In this vein and taking into account that E-learning facilitates students the learning process through the use of technological tools in terms of space and time, it can be found that in some cases there will be members of the group from different backgrounds. In this sense ¨the use of humuor¨ or jokes that are not of universal of understanding due to sometimes while some people is laughing because of the joke, others can be full of anger or disappointed given that his / her political, social or religious affections are being offended. This E-learning process instead of being an educational experience can give rise to a serious problematic issue. I would personally say that these kinds of situations have to be conducted by the teacher/facilitator through a friendly and respectful communication channel in order to prevent that an ambiguous interpretation of a joke between cultures can result in a ¨butterfly effect¨ for the simple funny commentary.
In conclusion it can be said that this research in which human sensitivity is assessed gives more confident to the members of the group and prevent isolation due to the use of technological resources in the learning process. Finally I would say that globalisation in one of its features that is the reduction of space-time in somehow has contributed to promote this learning environment. Taking this thought to the field of education especially in E-learning, the interchange of ideas and conceptual experiences with people from different backgrounds is a two ways benefit because this leads to the reflection and reorientation of the learning process.
Hughes, M., Ventura, S., & Dando, M. (2007). Assessing social presence in online discussion groups: a replication study. Innovations in Education and Teaching International, 44(1), 17-29.
The fact that there are studies that intend to assess the social presence in multimedia learning environments, takes me to think how could be created a friendly and controlled environment in which a set of basic rules of respect and behavior are established, considering that there are always conceptual and ideological differences that each person defends based on solid arguments that mainly lead is to build new knowledge and ideas.
In order to achieve the above conditions (McFadzean and Mckenzie 2001 as cited in Hughes et al 2007) suggest that design and process issues of course delivery should be studied with careful attention. Course design has to embrace team development, dynamic and trust issues, while the direction of the process requires a permanent assessment of the group progress. There must be a teacher or facilitator who sets a friendly and respectful learning environment. He/she has to promote a fluent communication and also becomes a role model in the process. This means that she / he must be the first member of the group in establishing socialization, giving feedback to inquiries in a short time response in order to keep the thread and to encourage the students with the search for new information or discoveries in the field too.
The diagram illustrates the best way to see a program or course which seeks basically the manifestation of emotions or natural human feelings through multimedia learning environments, with the purpose of maintaining some social behaviors that normally occur in the classroom.
It can be seen that the teaching presence in the diagram is presented as the actor who gives directions and establishes the rules. On the one hand the selection of content leads to cognitive presence and on the other hand the setting climate is connected with the social presence that is where communication among participants is created. Finally, in the center of the diagram there are two essential elements. First, the supporting discourse that is confrontation of ideas that occurs between the members of the group based on the specific knowledge and professional and personal experiences through a friendly and respectful communication. And second, educational experience that is no more than the desired outcomes meeting the expectations of the whole process of learning that can be reflected on the apprehension of knowledge and the construction of new ideas. Thus, I can say that E-learning programs can be functional based on the use of social presence.
In the study ¨assessing social presence in online discussion groups¨ Hughes (2007) three categories were established (affective, interactive, cohesive) and some indicators to encode the most common written language used in the online learning groups. This time I will look at one of the indicators that caught my attention as an issue which is ¨The use of humour¨ and the definition is ¨teasing, cajoling, irony, understatements, Sarcasm¨ (Figure 2. Rourke et al.'s 1999 Social Presence coding template as cited in Hughes, 2007). This indictor is part of the affective category. In this vein and taking into account that E-learning facilitates students the learning process through the use of technological tools in terms of space and time, it can be found that in some cases there will be members of the group from different backgrounds. In this sense ¨the use of humuor¨ or jokes that are not of universal of understanding due to sometimes while some people is laughing because of the joke, others can be full of anger or disappointed given that his / her political, social or religious affections are being offended. This E-learning process instead of being an educational experience can give rise to a serious problematic issue. I would personally say that these kinds of situations have to be conducted by the teacher/facilitator through a friendly and respectful communication channel in order to prevent that an ambiguous interpretation of a joke between cultures can result in a ¨butterfly effect¨ for the simple funny commentary.
In conclusion it can be said that this research in which human sensitivity is assessed gives more confident to the members of the group and prevent isolation due to the use of technological resources in the learning process. Finally I would say that globalisation in one of its features that is the reduction of space-time in somehow has contributed to promote this learning environment. Taking this thought to the field of education especially in E-learning, the interchange of ideas and conceptual experiences with people from different backgrounds is a two ways benefit because this leads to the reflection and reorientation of the learning process.
Hughes, M., Ventura, S., & Dando, M. (2007). Assessing social presence in online discussion groups: a replication study. Innovations in Education and Teaching International, 44(1), 17-29.
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