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An Exploratory Study of Teacher Perception of Social Presence: Design and Instructional Practices for New Online Teachers Mark Pugsley University of New Mexico UNM Digital Repository Organization, Information and Learning Sciences Electronic Theses and Dissertations ETDs 2-9-2011 An Exploratory Study of Teacher Perception of Social Presence: Design and Instructional Practices for New Online Teachers Mark Pugsley Follow this and additional works at: https://digitalrepository.unm.edu/oils_etds Recommended Citation Pugsley, Mark. "An Exploratory Study of Teacher Perception of Social Presence: Design and Instructional Practices for New Online Teachers." (2011). https://digitalrepository.unm.edu/oils_etds/25 This Dissertation is brought to you for free and open access by the Electronic Theses and Dissertations at UNM Digital Repository. It has been accepted for inclusion in Organization, Information and Learning Sciences ETDs by an authorized administrator of UNM Digital Repository. For more information, please contact [email protected]. An Exploratory Study of Teacher Perception of Social Presence: Design and Instructional Practices for New Online Teachers BY MARK PUGSLEY B.A., Bard College, 1989 M.S.S., Bryn Mawr College, 1997 DISSERTATION Submitted in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy Organizational Learning & Instructional Technology The University of New Mexico Albuquerque, New Mexico December 2010 iii DEDICATION In memory of my dissertation chair, Deborah LaPointe, whose beacon of excellence in online instruction will forever be an inspiration and guide for me to follow. iv ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS “It takes a village to complete your dissertation,” said a friend, Eric Kolvig, who has traveled before these sometimes wide and deep dissertation waters. To all my friends, past and present, who have extended themselves in meaningful ways and are a part of my village. I would like to acknowledge and recognize: Patsy Boverie and her mentorship and guidance, from start to finish over this circuitous OLIT journey, will be forever cherished. Bruce Noll and his careful readings and wise analysis of the various manifestations of this manuscript. Lani Gunawardena and her years of dedicated research and contribution to the field of online education that informed this study. Mark Salisbury and his insightful analysis and humor that provided an important perspective. Albert Sangra Morer and his global outlook that broadened my online education understanding. Bob Grassberger and his consistent availability to help, offer feedback and for watching my back. My wife, Laurie Pugsley, and her steadfast commitment and love through the years of this endeavor. My parents, Ron and Sally, and their immense generosity, encouragement and love will always be a part of my reached horizons. An Exploratory Study of Teacher Perception of Social Presence: Design and Instructional Practices for New Online Teachers BY MARK PUGSLEY ABSTRACT OF DISSERTATION Submitted in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy Organizational Learning & Instructional Technology The University of New Mexico Albuquerque, New Mexico December 2010 vi AN EXPLORATORY STUDY OF TEACHER PERCEPTION OF SOCIAL PRESENCE: DESIGN AND INSTRUCTIONAL PRACTICES FOR NEW ONLINE TEACHERS BY MARK PUGSLEY B.A., Bard College, 1989 M.S.S., Bryn Mawr College, 1997 Ph.D., Organizational Learning & Instructional Technology, University of New Mexico, 2010 ABSTRACT The purpose of this qualitative study was to explore the perceptions of high school teachers regarding social presence in online instruction. Participants were nine teachers, all new to teaching online. The influence of an Online Social Presence Rubric was studied along with other variables that affected understanding of social presence during one teaching semester. Five primary questions guided the research with the intention of furthering knowledge about social phenomena in the field of online education: (I) What do teachers identify as the central constructs to social presence; (II) How does the Online Social Presence Rubric affect teachers’ understanding of social presence; (III) In what ways do teachers perceive, use or adopt the rubric as an instructional tool; (IV) What other variables influence the teachers’ perceptions and practices of social presence; and (V) What did teachers learn about social presence after teaching their first online course? Participants were experienced classroom teachers in a large urban school district who were part of a high school’s transition to online course delivery. The vii research design compared analysis in semi-structured and open interview questions before and after the online classes were taught. Observation of each online class within the learning management system took place at the end of the semester. Due to the exploratory nature of this research, the small number of participants and its specific geographic context, this study offers only descriptive and speculative findings on how teacher social perceptions influence design and instructional practices. The findings included what teachers learned after a significant loss in social presence occurred during instruction and includes suggestions for improving social presence in online courses. viii TABLE OF CONTENTS List of Figures .................................................................................................... xi List of Tables .................................................................................................... xii Chapter 1 Introduction ..................................................................................... 1 Social Presence ............................................................................................... 2 Rubrics ............................................................................................................. 5 Problem Statement........................................................................................... 6 Research Questions ......................................................................................... 8 Significance of Study ........................................................................................ 8 Limitations of Study .......................................................................................... 9 Chapter 2 Literature Review .......................................................................... 11 Broadening the Theoretical Context ............................................................... 11 Definitions of Social Presence ........................................................................ 14 Measurement of Social Presence .................................................................. 19 Social Presence and Learning Outcomes ...................................................... 28 Social Presence and Interaction ..................................................................... 30 Background to Assessment ............................................................................ 34 Background to Rubrics ................................................................................... 38 What is a Rubric. ........................................................................................ 38 Rubric determination. ................................................................................. 39 Rubric design. ............................................................................................ 40 Rubric validity and reliability. ...................................................................... 41 Rubric Studies. ........................................................................................... 46 Chapter 3 Methodology .................................................................................. 49 Introduction .................................................................................................... 49 Research Site ................................................................................................. 51 Research Participants .................................................................................... 51 Research Design ............................................................................................ 52 Overview of the Online Social Presence Rubric‟s Design .............................. 55 Instrumentation .............................................................................................. 56 ix Data Collection ............................................................................................... 56 Data Analysis ................................................................................................. 57 Dependability and Trustworthiness ................................................................ 58 Chapter 4 Analysis of Data and Findings ..................................................... 60 Study Context ................................................................................................. 60 School setting. ........................................................................................... 60 Online Training. .......................................................................................... 60 Researcher reflections and bias. ................................................................ 61 Transition to teaching online classes. ........................................................ 62 Presentation of data and results ..................................................................... 64 Question I: What do instructors identify as the central constructs to social presence? .................................................................................................
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