Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in
Book cover

International Conference on Interactive Collaborative Learning

ICL 2016: Interactive Collaborative Learning pp 128–142Cite as

Role of the Online Tutor in Establishing Social Presence in Asynchronous Text-Based Collaborative Learning Environments

  • Conference paper
  • First Online:

  • 1304 Accesses

Part of the book series: Advances in Intelligent Systems and Computing ((AISC,volume 544))

Abstract

The main objective of this paper is to provide a better understanding of the online tutor’s role in establishing and maintaining the feeling of social presence among the participants in asynchronous text-based collaborative learning environments. The context of the study is a distributed online course involving groups of participants who do not have a shared history of working together. The data were collected from a student survey and follow-up interviews. The study shows how the online tutor’s facilitation in such environments is crucial, and several practical implications for online tutors are presented. In addition, complementing the asynchronous text-based learning platform with synchronous tutor-facilitated meetings is beneficial for learners in terms of building common ground, receiving instant feedback from the tutor and engaging in more off-task interactions.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution.

Chapter
USD   29.95
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
eBook
USD   169.00
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as EPUB and PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
Softcover Book
USD   219.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Compact, lightweight edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Purchases are for personal use only

Learn about institutional subscriptions

References

  1. Sung, E., Mayer, R.E.: Five facets of social presence in online distance education. Comput. Hum. Behav. 19, 1738–1747 (2012)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  2. Gunawardena, C.N.: Social presence theory and implications for interaction and collaborative learning in computer conferences. Int. J. Educ. Telecommun. 1, 147–166 (1995)

    Google Scholar 

  3. Garrison, D.R., Anderson, T., Archer, W.: Critical inquiry in a text-based environment: computer conferencing in higher education. Internet High. Educ. 2, 87–105 (2000)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  4. Franceschi, K., Lee, R.M., Zanakis, S.H., Hinds, D.: Engaging group e-learning in virtual worlds. J. Manage. Inf. Syst. 26, 73–100 (2009)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  5. Remesal, A., Colomina, R.: Social presence and online collaborative small group work: a socioconstructivist account. Comput. Educ. 60, 357–367 (2013)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  6. Denis, B., Watland, P., Pirotte, S., Verday, N.: Roles and competencies of the e-tutor. In: Networked Learning Conference, vol. 4, pp. 5–7 (2004)

    Google Scholar 

  7. Kopp, B., Matteucci, M.C., Tomasetto, C.: E-tutorial support for collaborative online learning: an explorative study on experienced and inexperienced e-tutors. Comput. Educ. 58, 12–20 (2012)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  8. Goold, A., Coldwell, J., Craig, A.: An examination of the role of the e-tutor. Australas. J. Educ. Technol. 26, 704–716 (2010)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  9. Berge, Z.L.: Facilitating computer conferencing: recommendations from the field. Educ. Technol. 35, 22–30 (1995)

    Google Scholar 

  10. Kreijns, K., Kirschner, P.A., Jochems, W.: Identifying the pitfalls for social interaction in computer-supported collaborative learning environments: a review of the research. Comput. Hum. Behav. 19, 335–353 (2003)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  11. Hutchby, I.: Technologies, texts and affordances. Sociology 35, 441–456 (2001)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  12. Jeong, H., Hmelo-Silver, C.E.: Seven affordances of computer-supported collaborative learning: how to support collaborative learning? How can technologies help? Educ. Psychol. 51, 247–265 (2016)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  13. Bower, M.: Affordance analysis – matching learning tasks with learning technologies. Educ. Media Int. 45, 3–15 (2008)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  14. Popov, V., Noroozi, O., Barrett, J.B., Biemans, H.J.A., Slof, B., Mulder, M.: Perceptions and experiences of, and outcomes for, university students in culturally diversified dyads in a computer-supported collaborative learning environment. Comput. Hum. Behav. 32, 186–200 (2014)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  15. Serçe, F.C., Swigger, K., Alpaslan, F.N., Brazile, R., Dafoulas, G., Lopez, V.: Online collaboration: collaborative behavior patterns and factors affecting globally distributed team performance. Comput. Hum. Behav. 27, 490–503 (2011)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  16. Sarker, S., Sahay, S.: Implications of space and time for distributed work: an interpretive study of US-Norwegian systems development teams. Eur. J. Inf. Syst. 13, 3–20 (2004)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  17. Massey, A.P., Montoya-Weiss, M.M., Hung, Y.-T.: Because time matters: temporal coordination in global virtual project teams. J. Manage. Inf. Syst. 19, 129–155 (2003)

    Google Scholar 

  18. Engelmann, T., Dehler, J., Bodemer, D., Buder, J.: Knowledge awareness in CSCL: a psychological perspective. Comput. Hum. Behav. 25, 949–960 (2009)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  19. Munkvold, B.E., Zigurs, I.: Process and technology challenges in swift-starting virtual teams. Inf. Manag. 44, 287–299 (2007)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  20. Dekker, R., Elshout-Mohr, M.: Teacher interventions aimed at mathematical level raising during collaborative learning. Educ. Stud. Math. 56, 39–65 (2004)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  21. Dorn, B., Schroeder, L.B., Stankiewicz, A.: Piloting TrACE: exploring spatiotemporal anchored collaboration in asynchronous learning. In: Proceedings of the 18th ACM Conference on Computer Supported Cooperative Work & Social Computing, pp. 393–403 (2015)

    Google Scholar 

  22. Yoo, Y., Alavi, M.: Media and group cohesion: relative influences on social presence, task participation, and group consensus. MIS Q. 25, 371–390 (2001)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  23. Dekker, D.M., Rutte, C.G., Van den Berg, P.T.: Cultural differences in the perception of critical interaction behaviors in global virtual teams. Int. J. Intercultural Relat. 32, 441–452 (2008)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  24. Lim, J., Liu, Y.: The role of cultural diversity and leadership in computer-supported collaborative learning: a content analysis. Inf. Softw. Technol. 48, 142–153 (2006)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  25. Popov, V., Biemans, H.J., Kuznetsov, A.N., Mulder, M.: Use of an interculturally enriched collaboration script in computer-supported collaborative learning in higher education. Technol. Pedagogy Educ. 23, 349–374 (2014)

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgements

I am grateful to my informants for their valuable contribution to this research. I would also like to thank my supervisors Bjørn Erik Munkvold and Oddgeir Tveiten for their advice and feedback.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Global Development and Planning, University of Agder, Kristiansand, Norway

    Aleksandra Lazareva

Authors
  1. Aleksandra Lazareva
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Aleksandra Lazareva .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Carinthia University of Applied Sciences, Villach, Austria

    Michael E. Auer

  2. International E-Learning Association and Kaleidoscope Learning, New York, New York, USA

    David Guralnick

  3. Ulster University, Belfast, Ireland

    James Uhomoibhi

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

Copyright information

© 2017 Springer International Publishing AG

About this paper

Cite this paper

Lazareva, A. (2017). Role of the Online Tutor in Establishing Social Presence in Asynchronous Text-Based Collaborative Learning Environments. In: Auer, M., Guralnick, D., Uhomoibhi, J. (eds) Interactive Collaborative Learning. ICL 2016. Advances in Intelligent Systems and Computing, vol 544. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-50337-0_11

Download citation

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-50337-0_11

  • Published:

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Cham

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-319-50336-3

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-319-50337-0

  • eBook Packages: EngineeringEngineering (R0)

Publish with us

Policies and ethics

Search

Navigation