Qualitative assessment of social presence in online forums

The concept of social presence has interested researchers in relation to the quality of e-learning experienced by students. Experiencing social presence, which is the degree to which a person is perceived as `real´ in mediated communication, can be somewhat challenging in e-learning environment. This study examined the social presence experienced by undergraduates in online forums for distance learning students at a university. Qualitative data was collected from 51 students who were required to take part in a portal as a requirement for an undergraduate course. The qualitative data was analyzed based on Rourke et al. [15] measurement of social presence i.e. interactive response, affective response and cohesive response. By quantifying the qualitative data, the study found that interactivity in the discussion boards served the purpose to maintain contact among the students. Additionally, the female students were found to have used social presence indicators the most. Therefore, further research has to be conducted to determine the reason for gender difference in the social presence experienced by students and ways to enhance social presence which would result in students´ motivation and satisfaction in e-learning activities.