Social Presence and Online Learning Communities
Keywords:
online learning, learning communities, social presence, phenomenology, pre-service teachersAbstract
Online learning continues to grow rapidly in higher education. As institutions of higher education develop online courses and students participate in those courses, various issues arise: retention rates, feelings of isolation, and a decrease in feelings of success. By assisting students in establishing both a social presence as well as a learning community, teachers can help combat these issues. The broader phenomenological study consisted of three in-depth interviews with each of the 12 study participants, all undergraduate, pre-service teachers, regarding their experiences with online courses.
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