Xavier Thayalan

Qualitative assessment of social presence in online forums

The concept of social presence has interested researchers in relation to the quality of e-learning experienced by students. Experiencing social presence, which is the degree to which a person is perceived as ‘real’ in mediated communication, can be somewhat challenging in e-learning environment. This study examined the social presence experienced by undergraduates in online forums for distance learning students at a university. Qualitative data was collected from 51 students who were required to take part in a portal as a requirement for an undergraduate course. The qualitative data was analyzed based on Rourke et al. [15] measurement of social presence i.e. interactive response, affective response and cohesive response. By quantifying the qualitative data, the study found that interactivity in the discussion boards served the purpose to maintain contact among the students. Additionally, the female students were found to have used social presence indicators the most. Therefore, further research has to be conducted to determine the reason for gender difference in the social presence experienced by students and ways to enhance social presence which would result in students motivation and satisfaction in e-learning activities.

Gender-based strategies in Malaysian student blog forums

In this study we explored gender-based strategies used in mixed gender blog forums among Malaysian students. The qualitative study was based on the comments and feedback messages posted at the researchers blog by 53 students over a period of 13 months. By using Herrings [1] Computer Mediated Discourse Analysis [CMDA] approach, this study found that the female participants had used a significant percentage of stereotyping strategy, alliance building strategy, solidarity strategy and direct strategy compared to the male participants. This is contrary to some gender studies that found males to be more direct in gender-based interaction. Therefore, online interaction is not a representative of the way Malaysian men and women observe politeness system in face-to-face interaction.

Intercultural communication in Asynchronous Discourse: The Malaysian experience

In todays internet age, online communication appears fundamental in global business dealings and transactions. By using Matsumoto et al. [12] concept of online intercultural adjustment, this study examines online intercultural communication in a Malaysian context. The working definition of intercultural communication, in this study, is based on the works of Kramsch [11] and Asuncion-Lande [2] which include communication between genders and social groups as intercultural communication. As identity is not stable in online interaction, this study regards that even when online participants are not conscious of the people they are interacting with, it is still intercultural. In conducting the present study, qualitative data is collected from an online news portal. By quantifying the qualitative data, this study found that Malaysians were positively accommodative in online intercultural context. They build relationships and they were mostly cooperative in dealing with people they meet online. This implies that in online business dealings, Malaysians are capable of adapting to the social or cultural differences of business partners. As this study limits itself with the analysis of qualitative data from online news forums, further research is needed to determine the transferability of the study in online business dealings and transactions among Malaysians.