社交临场对学习的促进作用研究

Social Presence Effectiveness for Learning

在远程教育文献中,相关研究普遍认为社交临场对于在线远程教育特别重要,然而社交临场的作用却一直备存争议。本文旨在探讨在线社交临场与学习效果的相关程度,因此,如何正确定义社交临场这个概念是讨论的重点。社交临场这个术语在文献中使用过度,约有二十多种表述方式都含有临场这个概念。目前,在线教育模式呈多样化状态,但是,其中最为看好的是反映学习的线性叙事过程的交互距离模型。这一模型是建立在现在广为接受的远程教育理论基础上的,如交互距离理论、对话理论以及当前最为流行的建构主义范式等。在交互距离模型中,社交临场在远程学习的初期阶段很重要,它有助于使学习者在在线学习社区中从局外人变为局内人。另外,社交临场可以评估。本文把社交临场重新定义为涵括教师临场(而非教学临场)、学习者临场和某种程度的认知临场等的集合体。从根本上来说,社交临场指的是"面孔"而非理念或思维过程。本文讨论社交临场与学习效果的相关性,并给在线辅导教师和学生提出一些建议。

Reports in the literature widely recognize Social presence to be important particularly in online distance education,but its role remains controversial.This Paper explores how well online social presence is indeed correlated with achieved quality of academic learning.The key issue lies in appropriately defining the concept of social presence.The term social presence is overused in the literature where now two dozen expressions involve the term presence.Various models for online education have been proposed.The most promising is the Transactional Distance Model that reflects the linear narrative process of learning.This is based on well-established theories including the theory of transactional distance,conversation theory,and the current leading paradigm of constructionism.In this Model,social presence is seen as important in the early stage carrying the student from being an outsider to becoming an insider in the online community.Social presence can be measured,and is re-defined as involving a mix of teacher presence(not teaching presence),learner presence,and some cognitive presence.Essentially social presence involves 'faces' rather than ideas or thinking processes.After exploring the correlation with achieved learning,some implications are suggested for online tutors and students.