Students’ Perceptions of Social Presence in a Blended Learning Environment

Abstract

The outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic was a driving force behind
the implementation of online learning in numerous universities in Vietnam, and now when face-to-face learning is resumed, blended learning has been employed. Although there has been plenty of research into blended learning benefits, little is known about how to construct a successful blended learning model. A widely accepted framework of Garrison, Anderson and Archer (2000), “community of inquiry”, suggests three interwoven components of effective blended learning, one of which is social presence. Noticing research into this area in Vietnam is insufficient, this work is aimed at exploring how students perceive social presence in a blended learning environment, and which among the 11 factors that might affect social presence were the most effective. Triangulation of data was used by questionnaires from 132 students attending a B1 English course and voluntary interviews with 15 students. Data analysis revealed that students highly appreciated the roles social presence played in their learning whilst they thought social presence remained unchanged in both blended and face-to-face modes. Among the 11 factors, students valued the closeness of teachers, their prompt feedback, and group work most. Meanwhile, some did not appraise the importance of group projects, forums, and peer feedback. Yet the interviews gave some insights into what they expected and suggested to enhance social presence through online and in-class activities. Finally, the research discusses some implications in designing and delivering blended courses that promote multidimensional interactions and hence, contribute to the effectiveness of blended learning.