Unveiling the role of student preparedness in cognitive and social presences development in online collaborative learning environments

Online collaborative learning emphasizes the importance of collaboration and social interaction in constructing knowledge together among students using technologies. The effectiveness of this learning method is influenced by many factors, including student characteristics. The aim of our study was to examine the extent of the relationships between student preparedness competencies in the e-learning environment and cognitive and social presences in online collaborative learning environment. A total of 128 undergraduate students from two classes were observed for one semester in an online collaborative learning environment. The quantitative method of partial least squares-structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) was used in analysis. Our findings indicate that the core competency of the students was “the management of e-learning and the learning environment”. It significantly influenced the students’ interaction with learning content, collaboration with the e-learning community, and demonstration of their social presence. Furthermore, the social presence became a vital element in mediating student preparedness to achieve cognitive presence. In summary, this study shows that students’ preparedness plays a crucial role in the success of online collaborative learning. Practical implications are also presented in this article.