SOCIAL PRESENCE IN 3D VIRTUAL ENVIRONMENTS: REFLECTIONS UPON A TEACHING EXPERIENCE IN THE UNIVERSITY

Identifier:  imarina:5752770

Handle: https://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11797/imarina5752770

Authors:  Esteve Gonzalez, Vanessa; Gonzalez Martinez, Juan; Gisbert Cervera, Merce; Cela Ranilla, Jose Maria

Abstract:
Multiuser virtual environments facilitate the design of learning strategies in immersive and collaborative networking scenarios. In these environments, the concept of social presence, based on the social and emotional projection of every user within the virtual learning environment, can have a positive impact on learning. Therefore, our goal is to analyse the users' social presence in these environments in an experience with 52 students of Pedagogy of the Universitat Rovira i Virgili, aimed to understand and analyse how students develop their social presence. Our results show the development of a clear positive social presence in the three main categories: emotional expression, open communication and group cohesion.