An Investigation of the Influence of Social Presence in Online Group Activity

The impact of social, instructional, and cognitive presences on online group work engagement was examined in this study, along with the connections between these presences. A qualitative survey of three sections (8 items for Teaching Presence, 7 for Cognitive Presence, and 8 for Social Presence) using a 5-point Likert scale was used to gather data from 286 diploma and bachelor students. Results show that students have a generally good view of the teacher’s role and that online group discussions encourage cooperation and open communication. Students eventually showed great cognitive engagement as the collaboration developed, despite initial challenges in initiating discussions and handling divergent opinions during online group work. Additionally, the study demonstrated the interdependence of instructional and cognitive presence by revealing moderately positive connections between social presence and both. These findings highlight the need for instructional strategies that encourage early group projects and use technology to foster thoughtful discussion in order to strengthen online collaborative learning.