The Social Side of Online Learning: How Social Capital Can Enhance Online Learning

Social factors, including social ties (the extent to which students form social ties with other students in the course) and social capital (the resources which are accessed through our social networks), have been acknowledged as important predictors of learning outcomes. Furthermore, they may be particularly important in online distance learning environments, in which social presence and interaction may be compromised. Nonetheless, there is a paucity of research on the value of having strong social ties (bonding capital) versus the value of having weak social ties (bridging capital) in terms of online learning satisfaction. The analysis aims to contribute to the scarce literature on this issue by examining the association between the formation of social ties with other students, online bridging and bonding social capital, and online course satisfaction through a study on students’ experiences of online distance learning. The sample included 583 students in the higher education system who had studied online during the preceding semester and responded to two online surveys, administered 2 months apart. Findings indicated a significant positive correlation between bridging social capital and course satisfaction, but no significant correlation between bonding social capital and course satisfaction. These findings highlight the value of interaction with weak ties and strangers (as opposed to the lack of effect of having stronger ties) in online courses for a satisfying online distance learning experience. The analysis also highlighted that, as predicted, the formation of social ties with other students was associated with a higher level of online course satisfaction These findings are discussed in relation to previous research and recommendations are made for future research and online distance learning design.