Anxiety in virtual exchange and its relationship with social presence

Abstract

This exploratory study investigates the relationship between students’ anxiety and social presence (SP) in virtual exchange (VE). While existing literature predominantly focuses on a single type of anxiety in online learning (i.e., FLA or online learning anxiety), this study examines (a) the various types of anxiety students experience in collaborative online settings and how these evolve over time, and (b) the underexplored relationship between anxiety and SP. Using a mixed-methods, longitudinal approach, we analyse survey and reflective reports data from 28 students at four stages of a 10-week VE between two universities, one in Brazil and one in France. Students reported diverse anxiety types, with collaboration, language, technology, and task expectations being most prominent at the outset. While overall anxiety levels varied among students, they remained relatively stable on average over time. However, some specific types of anxiety shifted—for example, task-related and time-management anxieties increased, whereas others, including anxieties related to collaborating with others, using the English language for the exchange, and technological issues, decreased. A positive relationship was found between SP and reduced anxiety, which seems to evolve in parallel with the type of interaction and focus within the small groups prompted by the VE tasks. However, qualitative findings, while largely confirming the trends, reveal a more complex picture and suggest that this relationship is influenced by factors such as anxiety type, group use of WhatsApp, and group organisation.