Online Texts of Iranian Speakers in an L2 Electronic Discussion Forum: An Analysis of Social Presence and Cognitive Presence

An increase of asynchronous online discussions in a non-course related context (Website) provides much opportunity for L2 learners from different global communities to be exposed to the target language at their own pace and time. However, no research looking at the essentials of social presence and cognitive presence in creating a supportive learning environment in such a context has been done. This study investigated the patterns of social presence and cognitive presence in non-academic computer conferencing in context of Iran. It also examined the relationship between social presence and cognitive presence including the correlation of these two elements with levels of participation (number of posted messages). Using content analysis, the data were analyzed from 304 online messages. The findings showed that levels of social presence and cognitive presence were significantly related and supported the notion that social presence plays a significant role in sustaining cognitive presence in discussions. The study also found a relationship between each social category and among various cognitive categories.