Person-to-person interactions in online classroom settings under the impact of COVID-19: a social presence theory perspective

The COVID-19 pandemic has compelled universities and higher education institutions to largely adopt online teaching avoid face-to-face interactions. Instructors students teach learn through computers, laptops, mobile phones with Internet connections. This qualitative study conducted in-depth interviews 17 university 7 instructors. It found that student-to-instructor student-to-student interactions cannot fully establish cognitive social presence affective presence. then provided recommendations including encouragement, incentives, breakout rooms, engagement techniques.