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MenciniSJ_MSNthesis_2016.pdf (814.99 KB)

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Student Perceptions of Faculty's Social Presence in Online Health Science Courses

Mencini, Samantha J
http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=csu1459636587

Abstract Details

2016, Master of Science in Nursing, Cleveland State University, School of Nursing.
With continued surges in enrollment in the various online health science programs, especially nursing programs, there is a great need for additional research to be conducted regarding how students perceive their professors social presence in an online learning environment through the use of Computer-Mediated Communications - CMCs. The objectives of this descriptive phenomenological qualitative study were to: 1) illustrate how students perceive their professors’ social presence as used in various types of CMCs; 2) identify emotions which the students have experienced in response to their professor’s CMCs; 3) unveil common themes regarding student perception of their professors’ social presence; and 4) identify ways for professors to increase their social presence in the online learning environment per the recommendations of the students. Garrison, Anderson and Archer’s (2000) definition of social presence was provided to participants so they would understand the context of this term throughout the interview process. Colaizzi’s (1978) method for phenomenological analysis was used to extract and analyze data. This study yielded four main themes, which include: responsiveness and interactions; caring and supportiveness; emotions and feelings; and connectedness and cohesiveness. Each of these four themes is interrelated and would allow for professors to increase their social presence when utilizing one or more of those modalities. Although this study’s findings were consistent with previous studies on social presence in the online learning environment, more research is needed to determine which CMCs are most meaningful to students in promoting professor social presence. Keywords: descriptive phenomenology; social presence; professor; Computer-Mediated Communications (CMCs); online health science courses; nursing; interaction
Maureen M. Mitchell, Ed.D. (Committee Chair)
Linda Wolf, Ph.D. (Committee Member)
Cheryl Delgado, Ph.D. (Committee Member)
61 p.
Nursing
descriptive phenomenology; social presence; professor; Computer-Mediated Communications - CMCs; online health science courses; nursing; interaction

Recommended Citations

Citations

  • Mencini, S. J. (2016). Student Perceptions of Faculty's Social Presence in Online Health Science Courses [Master's thesis, Cleveland State University]. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=csu1459636587

    APA Style (7th edition)

  • Mencini, Samantha. Student Perceptions of Faculty's Social Presence in Online Health Science Courses. 2016. Cleveland State University, Master's thesis. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center, http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=csu1459636587.

    MLA Style (8th edition)

  • Mencini, Samantha. "Student Perceptions of Faculty's Social Presence in Online Health Science Courses." Master's thesis, Cleveland State University, 2016. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=csu1459636587

    Chicago Manual of Style (17th edition)

csu1459636587
467
© 2016, some rights reserved.Creative Commons License Student Perceptions of Faculty's Social Presence in Online Health Science Courses by Samantha J Mencini is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported License. Based on a work at etd.ohiolink.edu.
This open access ETD is published by Cleveland State University and OhioLINK.