Where are the Students? Social and Learning Practices in Digital Settings

Abstract

The aim of the study is to understand the role of social presence in digitally mediated learning processes and, consequently, to improve the design of the courses we teach at UNED. The spaces of greatest interaction between students are social networks and mobile instant messaging services, not only for social purposes but also for learning. That is why we are researching about students’ practices in those spaces while they are studying. In this paper, we present preliminary findings identifying if those social interactions happen within the online courses or in other digital spaces.