A collaborative study by our faculty members Prof. Dr. Asil Özdoğru and Assoc. Prof. Dr. Ekmel Geçer, together with Assoc. Prof. Dr. Hakkı Bağcı, has been published in the journal Education and Information Technologies.
The study examined the socio-psychological factors that influence students’ sense of social presence in online learning environments. It evaluated the role of social connectedness and sense of humor in shaping students’ perceptions of social presence in virtual settings. Based on data collected from 516 students enrolled in universities in Türkiye, the findings revealed that both social connectedness and humor were significantly and positively associated with perceived social presence. These two variables were found to explain 9% of the variance in students’ sense of social presence. The study highlights the importance of considering students’ levels of social connectedness and sense of humor when designing online learning experiences.
