Technology Type, Gender and Social Presence: An Experimental Study

Research on virtual learning groups is still in its infancy, despite the related technology’s proliferation in education institutions. This paper reports on an experiment investigating the relationships among type of technology, gender, social presence, and learning outcomes. Using a 2x2 factorial design, each same-gender group collaborated on a learning task, using either videoconferencing, or synchronous-textual CMC as the means for interaction. Empirical results reveal that learning outcomes are not affected by technology type and gender. However, perceived social presence, which has significant correlations with satisfaction and perceived learning, plays a plausibly significant role in affecting satisfaction and perceived learning. The paper deliberates that cultural dimension, time and group size may have moderated the gender effects. The results are discussed with reference to previous studies, and implications and conclusions are drawn.