USING VIRTUAL MEETING ROOM DISCUSSIONS TO ENHANCE SOCIAL PRESENCE ONLINE

Purpose/Aims:  The Community of Inquiry framework was used to guide the development of a synchronous discussion activity.  This activity was developed to support social presence between students in the first course in an online program.

Rationale/Background:  Social presence includes emotional expression and open communication to support group cohesion (Garrison, Anderson & Archer, 2000). Students in the RN-BS online program typically come from face-to-face pre-licensure nursing programs with varying online learning experiences and levels of proficiency. Transitioning to online education can be difficult with some students feeling isolated.  Since this may be the first fully online course for these students, the faculty developed an activity promoting social presence through student-student and faculty-student synchronous interaction. The activity required students to actively interact with peers and faculty while discussing course content.

Approach:  Faculty implemented virtual meeting room (VMR) sessions in an online course using a web-conferencing system that enabled live interaction via audio and video media. The purpose of the VMR session was to provide a real-time opportunity for students to talk with faculty and other students.  This activity was initially highly recommended for students to attend, but was not mandatory.  Most students attended at least one session to discuss questions identified from course materials. During the pilot sessions, students found the activity to be helpful in providing connections to students and instructors (Hall, 2014).  In a subsequent term the VMR session was refocused into a mandatory course activity that included a faculty facilitated discussion. These sessions provided opportunities for small groups of students to talk about their nursing practice, their perceptions of practice change due to health care reform and ask questions about the course early in the term. These real-time meetings supported social presence among students and faculty and paved the way for collaboration and critical discourse in subsequent course forum discussions.

Outcomes Achieved: 1) The VMR sessions  provided an opportunity for students to talk with faculty and each other about course requirements and address course questions. 2) Students actively engaged in discussions about their nursing practice and implications of health care reform.  3) Synchronous  interaction in an online course activity supported social presence, providing a foundation for dialog in the online course forums in a meaningful and collaborative manner.

Conclusion: Synchronous virtual meetings provide an opportunity for students to talk with faculty and peers about course requirements. Students found VMR sessions to be helpful in providing connections to peers and faculty, enhancing social presence. VMR sessions support students in the transition from the face-to-face class to online learning. A faculty-facilitated discussion encouraged a rich dialog among students that continued in the weekly asynchronous forum discussions.