Social presence difference between Chinese and American students in text-based online learning environments

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to exam if Chinese students perceive different levels of social presence than their American student counterparts in a text-based online learning environment and, if so, what cultural differences are associated with different levels of social presence. A survey was conducted to collect data on social presence from both Chinese and American students. Additional open-ended questions were asked to gain more insight into the perceptions of online classes both from Chinese and American students. The results suggest that Chinese students perceived lower level of social presence than American students. They also suggest that expected response time, expectation of building relationships, learning background and English language ability may effect the Chinese students' perception of the online learning environment. The study recommends that online instructors take cultural issues into consideration to help Chinese students acclimate to the online learning environment. The suggestion is made that students need to be prepared for the obstacles that they may face that environment