Documentation:Creating the Online Learning Environment/Social Presence, Social Context
Social Presence, Social Context
It is generally accepted that the social context of learning greatly affects the nature of learning activities and outcomes (Garrison et al, 2000), and the pedagogical benefits of participation in learning communities are now well documented. For example, learning communities have been linked to reduced attrition, the promotion of critical thinking skills, and facilitation of the achievement of learning outcomes (see Dawson, 2006 and references therein).
Contemporary educators are therefore increasingly embracing socio-constructivist practices which emphasize learning as a social and interactive activity. Inspired by this philosophy of pedagogy, increased importance is placed on fostering community in both face to face and online learning contexts. However, while we are presenting these ideas here, it is important to recognize that other theoretical perspectives have value and may offer some additional insights for you as you think about your own teaching practice.
Social constructivist theory builds on the early work of education researchers such as Vygotsky and Piaget. It goes far beyond the notion that good learning ‘happens’ by providing isolated learners with reading material.
Constructivist theory argues that:
- Learners are unique, complex and multidimensional individuals
...with unique needs and backgrounds; this uniqueness and complexity should be encouraged
- The background and culture of the learner are very important
...so learners are encouraged to arrive at their own version of the truth, influenced by his or her background, culture or embedded worldview. This also stresses the importance of the nature of the learner's social interaction with knowledgeable members of the society.
- Learners must become increasingly responsible for their learning
...so the learner must be actively involved in the learning process, unlike previous educational viewpoints where the responsibility rested with the instructor to teach and where the learner played a passive, receptive role.
- Sustained motivation for learning depends on the learner’s confidence
...paraphrasing Vygotsky, learners should be challenged within close proximity to, yet slightly above, their current level of development. By experiencing the successful completion of challenging tasks, learners gain confidence and motivation to embark on more complex challenges.
- Instructors must be facilitators, not ‘teachers’
...when a teacher gives a didactic lecture which covers the subject matter learners are passive recipients; a facilitator, on the other hand, helps the learner to get to his or her own understanding of the content, and learners play an active role in the learning process.
- Learning is an active, social process
...in which learners discover principles, concepts and facts for themselves, through dynamic interaction between task, instructor and learner
Constructivist scholars emphasize that individuals make meanings through the interactions with each other and with the environment they live in. Knowledge is thus a product of humans and is socially and culturally constructed. Learning is not a process that only takes place inside our minds, nor is it a passive development of our behaviours that is shaped by external forces. Meaningful learning occurs when individuals are engaged in social activities.
Optimal learning environments therefore do not simply create opportunities for individual learners to engage intellectually with course materials, or encounter their world as isolated selves – selves that lack “community, tradition and shared meaning” (Martin, 2004). Rather, optimal learning environments permit dynamic interaction between instructors, learners and tasks, and offer learners opportunities to create their own understanding through interaction with others, highlighting the importance of community, culture and context in knowledge construction.
Questions for Reflection:
In what ways might social presence be perceived quite differently in open vs. traditional course contexts? Who may be additional participants in an open learning context? What social influences enhance or detract from the learning environment? Why do you think that is?