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The synchronous hybrid classroom (SHC) combines on-site and remote learners simultaneously. This study aims to investigate how participation mode (on-site vs. remote) affects students’ perceived learning in a SHC, examining social presence as a mediator. A second aim explores how different learning activity types along the ICAP framework influence students’ perceived learning across both groups, again considering social presence as a potential mediator. A natural experiment was conducted with 241 vocational secondary school students regularly participating in a SHC, either on-site (n = 136) or remotely (n = 105). Results showed that participation mode influenced students’ perceived learning indirectly through social presence. Remote participants perceived their social presence as lower and learning less effective than on-site participants. Interactive learning activities were most frequently used in this SHC implementation. The mediating effect of social presence was particularly strong for active/interactive activities on-site and passive/interactive ones remotely. This study contributes to theory by unravelling the complex interplay of the pedagogical design of a SHC and students’ learning experiences, highlighting the critical role of fostering social presence to optimise learning outcomes in SHC. Furthermore, it underscores the practical necessity for robust technological infrastructure and professional development support for teachers to enhance the efficacy of SHC settings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Intelligent Personal Assistants (IPAs) are becoming more prevalent in daily and educational contexts, increasing the possibility of using them as learning partners that can provide more personalized and learner-centric learning opportunities. However, research has primarily focused on educational advantages that IPAs may provide, overlooking investigation on students' acceptance of IPAs. To address this gap, this study empirically explored factors influencing students' intention to use IPAs for learning. A conceptual research model was designed based on the technology acceptance model. Data were collected from 1044 South Korean students, who were experienced in using IPAs. Results were analyzed using structural equation modeling. The findings indicate that the proposed model sufficiently explains students' IPAs acceptance for their learning. In addition, students' computer self-efficacy and self-management of learning ability were prominent factors influencing their intention. Moreover, their trust toward IPA and feeling of social presence on IPAs were found to be significant factors to be considered as well. Based on these findings, future recommendations for fostering students' active use of IPAs for learning are discussed. Additionally, both theoretical and practical implications are highlighted. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

During the digital era and especially the COVID-19 pandemic, live streaming emerged as a vital component of mobile learning and training. This study sought to determine whether the social presence and interactivity experienced by learners using live digital platforms could enhance their learning outcomes, satisfaction, and propensity for ongoing use.Leveraging the mobile technology acceptance model as its research framework, this study integrated interactivity and social presence as external variables. The aim was to uncover how these variables impact user satisfaction and continued use, while also exploring the mediating role of learning effectiveness in driving continued use.A live streaming system designed for mobile training was tested among 67 employees in a pilot study. The results demonstrated that:(1)Ease of use positively impacted perceptions of mobile usefulness.(2)Mobile usefulness, interactivity, and social presence had a positive effect on satisfaction, yet ease of use didn't significantly influence satisfaction.(3)Interactivity enhanced social presence.(4)Satisfaction was a key driver of continued use, with learning effectiveness acting as a partial mediator between them. The findings from this research can guide businesses looking to utilize live streaming for training purposes and serve as a reference for academic research in similar areas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With the development of information technologies, many learners opt to stay home receiving various forms of online education such as massive open online courses (MOOC). However, many learners and instructors complain that MOOC-based learning effectiveness has been dampened by many factors. Through a meta-analysis using Stata/MP 14.0, this study reveals that MOOC-based learning outcomes can be significantly influenced by eight factors, i.e. behavior intention, learning engagement, students' motivation, perceptions, satisfaction, performance, self-regulation, and social networks across the world. Future research could reveal more influencing factors pivoting on the forum improvements, as well as the effect of social presence on MOOC-based learning outcomes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs) are the product of “internet + education”, offering open educational resources to global students. This study analyzed the factors influencing students’ intention to continue using MOOCs based on their satisfaction. To achieve research objectives this study integrates the unified theory of acceptance and use of technology (UTAUT) and social presence. A total of 481 valid samples were used to verify the hypotheses proposed using structural equation modeling (SEM) and PROCESS. The results showed that the UTAUT model (performance expectancy, effort expectancy, social influence, and facilitating conditions) had significant positive effects on student satisfaction with MOOCs. That is, it had a positive impact on the intention to continue using MOOCs. More importantly, social presence had a significant moderating effect on the relationship between UTAUT scores and satisfaction with MOOCs. Social presence weakened the impact of the UTAUT on satisfaction. Based on the research findings, implications, and limitations of this study are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Referring to the advantages of intelligent personal assistants, or virtual agents, Charades can be implemented with a Chatbot to enhance students’ vocabulary mastery. However, only a few studies have addressed the effectiveness of learning through practice with chatbots based on the Charades approach. We designed a Charades game using Google Assistant for L2 learners of English to practice vocabulary, and explored the role of social presence, hedonic value, perceived value, and learning outcome, and their correlates. Data were collected from 153 respondents and were analyzed by confirmatory factor analysis. The results showed considerable efficacy of the learning outcomes, revealing a positive correlation between social presence, hedonic value, perceived value, and learning outcomes. The study’s results suggest that incorporating well-designed Charades games via a chatbot with a virtual agent may enhance the perception of hedonic and perceived value and help L2 learners deepen their English vocabulary learning. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

During the COVID-19 quarantine, we conducted a field-setting pre/post-test randomized experiment (n = 115), creating a community using the social media application Instagram to enhance students’ interactions with their peers and immediate physical environments in a large, introductory online course in environmental psychology. We used the framework of the community of inquiry (CoI) to explain the ecological effects of this project. After posting photos and interacting with others on Instagram weekly for 8 weeks, student participants reported a significantly greater social presence and cognitive presence. Furthermore, participants reported higher levels of course satisfaction and performed better on the preliminary exams than non-participants, but this does not seem attributable to the intervention itself. We discuss the issues of self-selection bias, attrition bias, and compliance bias in this study arguing that greater social presence increased the cognitive presence, as mediated by meaningful peer interactions. Our findings provide additional evidence on the value of using social media in educational settings on learning experiences and for building communities to connect students with their peers and physical environments. We also explore the implementation of a pedagogical approach to context-based learning via mobile technologies, and how the CoI framework can be used in evaluating online learning environments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Due to the pervasiveness of online technology, especially social media and social networking sites (SNS) like Twitter and Facebook were are surrounded by a constant stream of information about other individuals. On the other hand, even though distance and online learning has become mainstream, there are still concerns leveled at many of these educational offerings, one of them being the relative social isolation of online and distance students. In this study, we investigate if and how ambient awareness, a concept originated in research in interpersonal effects of SNS, can play an important role in how salient social impressions of peers emerge and how this leads to perceptions of social presence among students. To this end, we use an impression formation paradigm in a four-week online distance course (N = 51). We found that students were able to form impressions of their peers through ambient awareness. These impressions differed in prevalence from the ones gathered through direct social interaction. In a larger second sample (N = 169), we find ambient awareness to be a mediator between the sociability of the learning environment and perceptions of social presence. Implications, limitations and suggestions for further research are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this study is to examine the impacts of transactive memory system (TMS) and interaction platforms in computer-supported collaborative learning (CSCL) on social presence perceptions and self-regulation skills of learners. Within the scope of the study, social presence perceptions and self-regulation skills of students in collaborative groups constructing knowledge in wiki, blog, podcast and Facebook platforms in CSCL processes were compared. The study is designed as a pretest and post-test control group study and was carried out with 97 university students. Social presence and self-regulation scales were administered as pretest in the study. At the end of process, social presence, self-regulation, transactive memory scales and semi-structured student opinion forms were administered as post-test. When the findings were examined, it was seen that interaction platforms and the TMS level of the group did not have a significant impact on social presence perception individually; yet common impact of these two variables was significant. When the impact of interaction platforms and the TMS on self-regulation skills was examined, it was found that whilst interaction platforms had a significant impact, the TMS alone and interaction platforms–TMS common impact were not significant. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

This study investigated the effects of digital storytelling on student achievement, social presence, and attitude in online collaborative learning environments. Students in one middle school course were randomly assigned to one of the two treatment groups after they received initial general instruction regarding teamwork skills. The “digital storytelling-based online collaborative learning (DST-OCL)” and the “general online collaborative learning (G-OCL)” groups received subsequent associated skills training. The overall results indicated that after each group took part in the treatment during online collaborative learning activities, the “DST-OCL” groups had significantly higher social presence than the “G-OCL” groups. Specifically, using “DST-OCL” strategies was significantly more effective than using “G-OCL” strategies for improving the “online communication,” “interactivity,” and “privacy” components of students’ social presence in online collaborative learning environments. There was no significant difference between the two groups regarding student achievement and attitude. The findings of this study offer an insight into methods for using digital storytelling as an instructional strategy for improving online collaborative learning effectiveness. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

A synchronous blend of online learning and “face-to-face” teaching is becoming a feasible instructional approach in higher education with the advent of technology. Although this learning mode is not new in higher education, little research has been done to contextualise social presence experiences in which effects of interactions were explored for enhancing learning. A qualitative approach was adopted using the case study method to examine the instructor and students’ pedagogic interactions in the social presence of a blended synchronous learning environment. This paper reports an exploration of the blended learning with an online group of students at a remote site attending a computer-aided engineering drawing course synchronously with a face-to-face group taught by an instructor in a laboratory. The process of interaction was visually and verbally mediated by videoconference as if in an online face-to-face learning community. The findings show that the online and face-to-face groups had different social presence experiences in which interaction emerged. Emotional adaptation and practice is needed for the students and the instructor in such a complex environment. Based on the interaction patterns, a framework of interactions in the blended synchronous learning environment is conceptualised to inform course development and instructional design. Implications for further study are also discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]