This document summarizes research on learning presence in online education. It finds that online learners who are more strategic, active, and reflective tend to have better outcomes. Specifically, features like self-reflection prompts improve online learning. However, current models of self-regulated learning are tied to older views of knowledge as memorization and don't capture regulation online. The document advocates revising theories to focus on how learners organize materials, structure their environment, seek help, and reflect on performance. It also reports initial findings that online learners struggle with time management, help seeking, and interacting with peers, suggesting where instructional design could help foster self-efficacy and learning presence.

1. Learning Presence
Peter Shea
Senior Researcher – SUNY Learning Network &
Associate Professor
University at Albany
State University of New York

2. Current Shift in US Higher
Education

3. Current Shift

4. Current Shift

5. Quality of Outcomes: Results of Meta-
Analyses of OL vs. CI
5

6.  Though the average effect size is “small”
when “time” is the mediator the size is
“medium”
 The mean effect size for studies with more
time spent on task by online learners than
learners in the control condition was +0.46
(Means, et.al., 2009)

7. Need for new theories…
 Need a new theory of learning
online…

8. Community of Inquiry
Framework (Garrison et. al)

9. Still missing the “learner”
 What do effective learners do with
their time in the online space?

10.  Good (online) learners are
 Strategic
 Active
 Reflective
 Missingthis focus in Community of
Inquiry Framework

12.  Overall,the available research evidence
suggests that promoting self-reflection,
self-regulation and self-monitoring leads to
more positive online learning outcomes.
 Features such as prompts for reflection,
self-explanation and self-monitoring
strategies have shown promise for
improving online learning outcomes.
Means, et. al. (2009)

13. What to regulate though?
 Current theories of self regulated
learning tied to earlier oral
epistemology of “knowing” as
memorizing
 Learning online requires different
self regulation
 Difficult and increasingly irrelevant
to document “memorization”

14.  Planning and time management
 Organizing and transforming course materials
(e.g. sorting/printing discussions)
 Environmental structuring (e.g. working from
fast internet connections)
 Self-monitoring/record keeping (#
posts/grades)
 Help seeking (professor and other students)
 Reflection (on performance/effort)
 Self-efficacy/attributions for success (predicts
effort)
Whipp, 2004

15.  Used the Online Self-regulated Learning
Questionnaire (OSLQ) in Spring 2010
Consists of six subscales
 environment structuring
 goal setting
 time management
 help seeking
 task strategies
 self-evaluation
 More than 2200 online learner
respondents…

16. Learner Difficulties in Current
Chronotopic Shift
 Initial results suggesting learners
are struggling in some areas of the
transition to virtual learning
environments

17.  37. Although we don’t have to attend daily classes I
try to distribute my studying consistently across
days in a way that gives me enough time to be
successful in my online classes.
 36. I try to schedule time every day or every week
to study for my online courses, and I observe the
schedule
 41. I am persistent in getting help from my online
instructor when I need it
 42. I reflect on my learning in online courses to
examine my understanding of what I have learned.
 43. I ask myself a lot of questions about the course
material when studying for an online course

18.  33. I prepare my questions before joining in online
discussions
 35. I allocate extra studying time for my online
courses because I know its time demanding
 38. I find someone who is knowledgeable in course
content so that I can consult with him or her when I
need help
 44. I interact with my classmates to help me
understand how I am doing in my online classes
 39. I share my problems with my classmates online
so we know what we are struggling with and how to
solve our problems

19. Additional Recent Learning Presence
Research
Medium of
Instruction
Teaching Effort
Presence
Cognitive
Self-efficacy
Presence
Social
Presence

20. Current Results
 Suggest that students in blended
environments have better self
efficacy
 Physical presence of instructors
appears to foster confidence in
learners
 What can we do with online
instructional design to help?

21. Suggestions for Revised Community of
Inquiry Framework

22. Thank You
 Peter Shea
 University at Albany, SUNY
 pshea@uamail.albany.edu
 518-442-4009