The Relationship between Social Ability and Learning Outcomes in Online Learning

Online learning in higher education continues to grow. Educators have long held that learning is essentially a social process; thus, concern exists about the quality of learning that occurs in online classes because social interactions are mediated through technology. A model suggested by Laffey and his colleagues identified social ability and technology acceptance as a set of factors that explicate the social nature of online learning with a focus on the perceived social presence of both teachers and students, specific online social skills, sense of community, and students' perceived utility and usability of online technologies for learning. This study explored how both social ability and technology acceptance relate to learning outcomes and how these relationships may be mediated by students' sense of community. Data were collected on 26 community college students and were then subjected to regression and correlation analysis. The results of the analyses failed to support the hypothesis that social ability and technology acceptance would predict learning outcomes. The study contributed to a better understanding of the factors associated with online learning in community colleges by exploring how the factors of social ability and technology acceptance manifest among undergraduate students attending a small, rural community college. A greater understanding of online learning supports the community college's role of providing greater access to higher education and thus impacts social change. Limitations related to sample size and generalizability of results are discussed. The need for continued research to explicate the social nature of online learning among this population is also discussed.