What types of experience can you use for learners to help create a sense of presence? We’ve identified four types: subjective, objective, social, and environmental experiences. These types of experiences are based on concepts addressed by Ijsselsteijn, de Ridder, Freeman, and Avons (2000).
Subjective experience is personal and psychological presence and takes place within our mind. It is the illusion of being in another location. For example, when our learners are experiencing online learning, they may have the illusion of being in another location as their mind is interacting with the content, you (the instructor), and other learners. Objective experience gives you and your learners a sense that you are both psychologically and physically in another location (Ijsselsteijn, de Ridder, Freeman, & Avons, 2000). It’s like feeling that you are "actually" located in the technology-mediated space. Objective experience has occurred in our teaching. Our learners have said that they experienced a feeling of psychologically and physically being in the same space with others during an online class - that they felt like they were in the same room and that the technology had disappeared. In reality, they were separated by thousands of miles. Social experience is when you have a sense of being with others who exist in the online environment and respond to each other. It is the social presence derived from communicating and interacting with others or with animated characters; for example, interacting with avatars in Second Life®. When others recognize and respond, it validates both the individual and group existence. The importance of ongoing interactions is significant and allows and facilitates feelings of understanding (Hargreaves, 2004). Environmental experience views the learner as a partner and central to the design process. It provides the ability to easily access and modify the environment (Sheridan, 1992), provide input about the environment, and interact with that environment. A description of the environmental experience incorporates both the physical and the educational aspects of the learning experience. The physical aspect involves the capability for the learners to have technical access and support for the technology and tools they are using. The educational aspect is the instructor’s openness and the design of the course structure that allows learners to feel that they are an integral part of the environment and can react to it.
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For me personally, subjective and objective presence was strongly created with the use of Skype and video presentations. This really made technology transparent and created the atmosphere of being across a table from each other.
ReplyDeleteThe social experience worked very differently for me. A sense of group presence and working to a common goal existed. However, the goal was the primary focus of the group. We were interacting to achieve the goal. Personal conversations and ties were not really created. Of course, this could be my failing ( I prefer to focus on the task at hand). In a face to face atmosphere, one has no choice but to make some form of small talk before and after class and ties are formed. While orientation activities aim at this, I haven't felt that yet.
The environmental experience is a HUGE part. Online courses depend heavily on how easy the technology is to use and how responsive. As older students return to education and prefer online courses, the courses need to be user friendly. These adult users are not tech savvy and while willing to learn new technology can also be frustrated easily when proper support is not available.
So, I especially appreciated the fact that the D2L updating happened over the winter break and we started a new semester on a new look. Changes always take some time to get used to and the first week of orientation gave us that. Changes like this mid-course could have disastrous effects.
What kind of experience would I use? With more and more of the world going mobile, it would be useful to send updates on due dates and other information through media like Twitter.