Research article    |    Open Access
International Journal of Research in Teacher Education 2026, Vol. 17(1) 18-37

Developing social presence: Teachers’ experiences of asynchronous discussion strategies in an online graduate class

Simon Stephenson, Olgun Sadık

pp. 18 - 37   |  DOI: https://doi.org/10.29329/ijrte.2026.1469.02

Publish Date: March 30, 2026  |   Single/Total View: 0/0   |   Single/Total Download: 0/0


Abstract

Distance education is increasingly common in higher education, though the quality of online programs varies significantly. Students in online learning often feel isolated from their classmates, which can hinder their success in achieving learning outcomes. One of the most common ways learners socially interact in online education is through asynchronous discussions. This qualitative research study utilized six different asynchronous discussion strategies (problem-based solution, audio recording, teacher facilitation, peer facilitation, debate, personal experiences) in an online graduate class, based on a literature review and course design. They explored their implementations for the importance of social presence from the students' perceptions. All the participants were in-service teachers, focusing on learning the foundations of educational technology. A phenomenological research design was employed to analyze the participants' multiple perspectives of their experience with different discussion strategies. Results reveal insights on how different discussion types can be used to improve the social presence and provide practical implications for teachers of online courses. The findings suggest that all the discussion strategies allowed some level of collaboration; however, the problem-based solution activity emerged as a helpful strategy to improve graduate students’ social presence in online graduate courses. Overall, the researchers argue that course designers and instructors must use different strategies at different points in their courses and think carefully about their discussion prompts and protocols in online asynchronous discussions (e.g., topic, timeline).

Keywords: distance education, community of inquiry, social presence, asynchronous discussion, higher education


How to Cite this Article?

APA 7th edition
Stephenson, S., & Sadik, O. (2026). Developing social presence: Teachers’ experiences of asynchronous discussion strategies in an online graduate class. International Journal of Research in Teacher Education, 17(1), 18-37. https://doi.org/10.29329/ijrte.2026.1469.02

Harvard
Stephenson, S. and Sadik, O. (2026). Developing social presence: Teachers’ experiences of asynchronous discussion strategies in an online graduate class. International Journal of Research in Teacher Education, 17(1), pp. 18-37.

Chicago 16th edition
Stephenson, Simon and Olgun Sadik (2026). "Developing social presence: Teachers’ experiences of asynchronous discussion strategies in an online graduate class". International Journal of Research in Teacher Education 17 (1):18-37. https://doi.org/10.29329/ijrte.2026.1469.02

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