<p>Social presence positively influences the motivation, satisfaction, retention, and learning outcomes of online students. Although it is crucial for successful online learning experiences, little work has thoroughly examined the evolution of social presence over time and the influence of social presence on peer interaction. In other words, if social presence can be learned by interacting with others. This three-article dissertation study elucidates this gap by answering the overarching question: How does online students' social presence evolve over time to shape their online learning behaviors? Using stochastic-actor oriented models to reflect the dependence among learners in online collaborative learning communities, this dissertation investigated how learners' social presence evolved in learner-learner interaction resulting in two empirical studies and one conceptual framework. The first study explored social presence through clickstream interaction (e.g., number of replies received/sent in an online discussion) of 382 learners enrolled in a Massive Open Online Course. Three key findings from the study were: 1) dropout rates could be lowered if social presence affordances are used purposefully; 2) adding social media characteristics to online discussion boards, for example, "like" buttons, inhibits conversational behavior, and eventually, decreases achievement of learning outcomes; and 3) the "rich-get-richer" effect also applies to social presence, reinforcing highly active students' behavior and risking inactive online students to experience isolation. The second study used peer-nomination data (i.e., asking students who they interact with) and a scale to investigate the spread of social presence perceptions in online networks of students over three consecutive courses (n = 197). Although there was no evidence of social influence, online learners who nominated more peers are more likely to report higher social presence perceptions over time. Students were not more likely to share with those who showed similar levels of social presence. The "rich-get-richer effect" was observed in the incoming nominations of learners. The third study is a conceptual framework that integrates network theory and the online learning literature into a new perspective to analyze learners' online behaviors and interactions under the light of social presence theory. The proposed framework includes four main steps: 1) interaction, 2) social presence alignment, 3) unit of analysis definition, and 3) network statistics and inferential analysis selection. The findings of this dissertation improve educational practice by identifying behaviors that harm online social presence and providing specific actions for online instructors and instructional designers to promote social presence in online learning.  </p>

Interaction is a core element in the design of blended and distance learning environments. The importance of understanding these interactions and what might increase effectiveness of such interactions in education is paramount for meaningful learning. This dissertation consists of two qualitative case studies designed to provide a rich, descriptive look at interactions in a high school distance/blended-learning context in the home-study and technology-meditated seminary program of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. In the study article, Moore's (1989) interaction framework was used as a lens for understanding the learner experience. Thematic narratives were used to highlight themes related to students' perceived learning gains from learner-content interaction and their hesitancy to engage in learner-learner and learner-instructor interactions if they had not met personally. In the second study, Garrison's (2007) Community of Inquiry framework was used to understand the impact that teacher decisions, other than the selection of content, had on the cognitive and social climate of the learning experience. This study describes how a teacher's facilitation of social interaction influences the course learning outcomes. The results highlight the teacher's role in providing the educational and social climate needed to foster learner interactions. This study noted that when the teachers gave learners the opportunity to interact in a live setting, it appeared to foster the relationships needed to interact online. The narratives also highlight how a teacher helped learners interact with one another around content online.

Storskaliga, öppna, internetbaserade kurser (MOOCar) introducerades år 2008 av George Siemens och Stephen Downes och deras popularitet har ökat ända sedan dess. Förespråkare av MOOCar påstår att de har en potential att möjliggöra livslångt lärande för människor från hela världen. Sedan de första kurserna har två olika former av MOOCar utvecklats, cMOOCar som har utvecklats utifrån lärandeteorin konnektivismen och xMOOCar som är relativt lika vanliga internetbaserade kurser med den skillnad att antalet kursdeltagare är mer eller mindre obegränsat. År 2016 anslöt sig MOOC initiativet från KungligaTekniska högskolan (KTHx) till edX, en undervisningsplattform för xMOOCar. Möjlighet till social interaktion med andra kursdeltagare och lärare erbjuds på edX i form av asynkrona diskussions forum. Forskning om hur den sociala interaktionen ter sig i diskussionsforumen och dess potential för att främja lärande är i dagsläget knapp. Syftet med detta examensarbete är att undersöka den sociala interaktionenskaraktär i två olika xMOOCar, en med självstyrd studietakt och en lärarledd. En ökad förståelse för den sociala interaktionen som för nuvarande äger rum i diskussionsforumen kan vara behjälplig för lärare vid utformningen av undervisningen i xMOOCar. Diskussionsforumen för två kurser av respektive kategori av xMOOC från KTHx om matematik och programmering ingår i denna undersökning. Både en konventionell innehållsanalys och en riktad innehållsanalys baserad på lärandeteorin undersökande gemenskap (CoI) har genomförts för att belysa olika aspekter av den sociala interaktionens karaktär och främjande av lärande i diskussions forumen. Resultatet av undersökningen visar att den sociala interaktionen är opersonlig och att kursdeltagarna initierar interaktionen för att få svar på frågor som huvudsakligen lärare besvarar genom att instruera eller informera. Det bildas ingen gemenskap och det uppvisas lägre nivåer av kognitiv närvaro i diskussionsforumen. För att främja lärande skulle diskussionsforumen istället kunna användas för att engagera de aktiva kursdeltagarna i diskussioner och lärarnas fokus kan förflyttas från att instruera och informera till att etablera en trygg miljö för interaktion. / Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs) were introduced in 2008 by George Siemens and Stephen Downes and their popularity has increased ever since. Advocates of MOOCs claim that they have the potential to enable lifelong learning for people all over the world. Since the first MOOC, two kinds of MOOCs have developed, cMOOCs that developed from the theory of learning, connectivism, and xMOOCs, which are relatively similar to usual online courses, with the difference that the number of participants is more or less unlimited. In 2016, the MOOC initiative from the Royal Institute of Technology (KTHx) joined edX, a teaching platform for xMOOCs. Opportunity for social interaction with other course participants and teachers is offered on edX in the form of asynchronous discussion forums. Research on the characterof the social interaction in the discussion forums and its potential for promoting learning in xMOOCs is currently limited. The purpose of this master thesis is to investigate the nature of social interaction in two different xMOOCs, one self-paced and one instructor-paced. An increased understanding of the current social interaction that is taking place in the discussion forums can be helpful to teachers in the design of teaching in xMOOCs. In this master thesis two discussion forums from courses of the respective categories of xMOOCs have been studied. Both a conventional content analysis and a directed contentanalysis based on the learning theory Community of Inquiry (CoI) have been conducted to highlight different aspects of the nature of the social interaction and how one may promote learning in the discussion forums. The result of the analysis shows that the social interaction in the discussion forums is impersonal and that the participants initiate the interaction by asking questions that are mainly answered by the teachers, by either instructing or informing. No community is formed and the discussion forums show lower levels of cognitive presence. In order to promote learning, discussion forums may be used to engage the active participants in discussions and it might be benificial if the teachers focused on establishing a safe environment for interaction, as opposed to focusing on instruction and informing.

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Text in English / In a quest to identify best practices in teaching courses in English for Specific Purposes (ESP), this study investigated effective teaching of an online English module in an Open Distance Learning (ODL) environment. Although ODL is attractive to both students and lecturers, there are significant problems regarding how learning, teaching, interaction and assessment should be conducted in this context. The problems are exacerbated by the limited knowledge of using the online systems and constraints linked to time spent on tasks. The study adopted the qualitative research approach, using a case study design and data collected from three research instruments, namely online questionnaires, an online observation schedule and a content analysis schedule. The research population in the current study comprised students, lecturers, and e-tutors based at one ODL university. In order to engender best practices of effective teaching in an ODL environment, the Community of Inquiry (Col) framework and Zone of Proximal Development (ZPD) theory were applied to the research findings of the current study. The findings indicate that effective teaching of an online English module in an ODL context could take place when content is effectively structured; assessment reflects course content; there is teamwork and collaboration amongst lecturers; students effectively interact with the material, lecturers/e-tutors, and with each other. The findings of this study add to the volume of research on best practices for effective online ESP teaching in ODL higher learning institutions. / English Studies / D. Litt. et Phil. (English)

This thesis focuses on learner support in Chinese distance education. It draws a picture of Chinese modern distance education, covering the major issues in the field of learner support, and small group work as peer support. The aim of the study is to find out whether or not the learner support, that distance students at university level obtained, has the tendency to support students’ deep learning. The aim has been achieved by examining learner support in six institutions of ICT-based distance education in China. Three other sources of learner support are investigated. The main objectives of the study are: 1) to describe the distance students’ characteristics; 2) to examine their learning habits, learning organizations, and their interactions; 3) to investigate the student support provided by the institutions; family support; societal support; and peer support in the form of small group work. The purpose of this study is to define current practices of learner support in the six distance education institutions, determining the extent of similarities and differences on learner support services among these institutions. The study is applying a case-study approach, using qualitative and quantitative methods to investigate the six Chinese distance education institutions. During the first stage, several field visits were conducted in different research sites with on-site participant observation, non-participant observation and interviews for obtaining knowledge of Chinese distance education. In the second stage, a survey with a student questionnaire was distributed to students present and others online, in total 587. In addition, semi-structured interviews with staff members (administrators, instructors and tutors), individual students, and student focus groups were performed. The present research is one of the few in-depth case studies that focus on the relation between learner support system and different approaches to learning. On the basis of these research findings, the importance of a well-designed learner support system for the distance learner, a system for fostering creative, critical or independent thinking skills, or deep learning, in line with Chinese cultural and social conditions, is underlined.

This thesis describes the proces of implementation of selected elements of Philosophy for Children in the activities of an after-school club. Philosophy for Children and the school club are presented in the theoretical part. The case study describes twenty Philosophy for Children sessions carried out in the morning and afternoon school club programme. Furthermore, factors influencing the programme that have been encounte-red during the philosophical sessions are discussed.

This thesis deals with the possibilities of using the programme Philosophy for Children to fulfill the objectives of the cross-curricular subjects at Primary school. The theoretical part includes a summary of the objectives of elementary education, then it describes the cross-curricular subjects of the Framework Education Programme for Elementary Education and Philosophy for Children and their interconnection. In the practical part, seven lessons using methods of Philosophy for Children, taught in the 5th year of Primary school, are described and they are analyzed from the philosophical point of view and from the point of view of including the cross-curricular subjects. In the reflection, these lessons are evaluated and the possibility of developing certain skills of pupils in case of longer-term using of this programme is mentioned.

Text in English / With the growing trends in favour of online learning in higher education, further research is needed on the social experiences of students enrolled in online courses. The purpose of this qualitative study was to explore the ways in which social presence manifested itself amongst first-year undergraduate students who had studied in a fully asynchronous web-based course at Unisa in 2014. The Community of Inquiry framework, which posits that meaningful online learning experience results from interaction of cognitive presence, social presence, and teaching presence, guided this inquiry. Purposive sampling was utilised to select 18 participants who met the selection criteria. Through semi-structured, telephonic interviews, couched with the social constructivism stance, the participants‟ perceptions of social presence were thematically analysed. The findings revealed that first-year online undergraduate students manifested social presence through affective responses, interactive responses, group cohesion, interaction, instructor presence and internet access. Overall, social presence manifested itself through participation and interaction within the discussion forums. The findings specified further that a blended online learning approach can be crucial in meeting the learning needs of some students. Furthermore, the findings alluded to a lack of interaction and feedback from the online instructors. In addition, the findings revealed a limitation in terms of internet access, particularly for students in rural areas, which is of concern in an ODL milieu heading online. Implications of the study findings, study limitations and avenues for future research are discussed. / Psychology / M.A. (Psychology)

This mixed methods study compared distance and blended undergraduate environmental students at Royal Roads University (RRU) as they participated in online asynchronous PBL case discussion forums as part of an Ecotoxicology course. This study examined the differences between distance and blended teams in their activity, approaches, and levels of critical thinking in an online PBL activity. Critical thinking was evaluated using the cognitive presence indicators of the community of inquiry framework developed by Garrison, Anderson and Archer (2001). An organization indicator was added to the framework to capture posts that organized the discussion forum layout or the team and the distribution of work. The use of the organization indicator in the thread map analysis revealed that teams adopted one of two approaches to the online PBL activity, either an organic approach or an organizational scaffold approach. An open coding approach to content analysis of the posts was used to develop two coding schemes to capture the use of learning scaffolds and degree of online collaboration respectively. These coding schemes were used to compare scaffolding and collaboration behaviours of distance and blended students during the online PBL activity. The study found that whether teams used the online discussion forums or face-to-face discussion as their primary communication method influenced both the timing and the critical thinking content of the online discussion forums. Student moderators’ choices influenced the structure and approach to the PBL activity, as well as the form of document assembly that was observed in the online discussion forums. The learning scaffolds coding scheme demonstrated that both distance and blended students were reading beyond the assigned reading list. Both distance and blended students appeared to develop skills in identifying information gaps over the progression of the PBL case problems as their observable level of critical thinking remained consistent as the problem scaffolding was faded. Although both environmental and non-environmental work experience may be used to scaffold team learning, they are used differently. Online PBL is a good fit for the Royal Roads University Learning and Teaching Model and may be used to provide some consistency across blended and online course content. / Graduate