Fostering Learners' Perceived Presence and High-Level Learning Outcomes in Online Learning Environments

Abstract

This study investigated the effects of using a teaching model enriched with presence on learners' perceived presence and high-level learning outcomes in online learning environments. The study was conducted in an Iranian state university with 52 higher education students majoring in electronic IT management who were randomly divided into experimental or control group conditions. The research tools included a rubric to measure learner's perceived presence and the researcher-made survey to measure learner's high-level learning outcomes. The results showed that the frequency of the produced semantic units in different types of presence (cognitive, social, and teaching presence) was significantly higher for students in the experimental condition than those in the control group condition. In addition, students in the experimental condition showed more progression in the posttest in terms of their high-level learning outcomes as compared to the students in the control group condition.