Theses and Dissertations

Date of Award

2018

Document Type

Dissertation

Degree Name

Doctor of Education (EdD)

Department

Abraham S. Fischler College of Education

Advisor

Linda A. Simunek

Committee Member

Maryanne Roesch

Committee Member

Kimberly Durham

Keywords

computer mediated communications (CMC), e-learning, face-to-face instruction (FTF), facilitator-created, social presence, subject-specific videos

Abstract

The literature established that online instruction consists of cognitive, teaching, and social presence. Studies on the element of social presence linked text-based delivery of instruction with learners’ feelings of isolation and disengagement. This research findings prompted this facilitator creation of five-to-seven-minute companion videos that aligned and complemented weekly text-based learning modules to ascertain students’ perceptions of these videos as a medium for channeling social presence.

Post-video viewing surveys yielded responses to pragmatic and emotional questions. Pragmatic questions were aimed at the visual impact of professor’s delivery of information. Emotional questions gauged the students’ feelings of connectivity with the facilitator. Triangulated interpretations of student responses showed that students perceived that the videos enhanced social presence by decreasing feelings of isolation in their online course. Key results included the feeling of a real classroom and appreciation of the visuality of the videos. The viewed videos supported affective associations, learner cohesion, interaction intensity, instructor involvement, and active learning. The videos helped draw the students from their inner secluded online environment to the outside world. The research includes recommendation of the use of a larger sample size; online facilitator theatrical training, college budget to include production of video funds for further quality video productions, and video cataloging of facilitator-created subject- specific videos.

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