Development and Evaluation of CSCL Based on Social Presence Masanori YAMADA mark@mark-lab.net Research Center for Higher Education, Kanazawa University Abstract: This study aims to develop and conduct formative evaluation on CSCL system based on social presence. This system consists of four parts; chat display, concept mapping, file sharing, and posting area, which enhance social presence and encourage learning behavior such as active discussion. The effect of this system was evaluated from the viewpoints of social presence and contribution to learning. The results showed that effect of each function on learning was perceived positive. However, the result also revealed that the function of the enhancement awareness to social presence would be needed. 1: Introduction 1-1: Research background Recent year, interest has grown in collaborative learning such as project-based learning (PBL) in higher education for fostering high-end learning skills. Collaborative learning promotes positive attitude and participation in learning, as well as learning behavior. However, there are several problems, in order to conduct collaborative learning. One is the difficulty in adjusting schedules for collaborative learning due to the difference of class among learners (Nishimori et al, 2005). Nishimori et al (2005) pointed out that this problem leads to the lack of group cohesion, which delay the task achievement progress. As information technology advances, interest has grown in using computer networks for Computer-Supported Collaborative Learning (CSCL), in order to solve the problem above. Many universities often use Computer-Mediated Communication (CMC) tools such as Bulletin Board System (BBS) with Learning Management System (LMS), and supports collaborative learning out of class. Background theory of CSCL is socio-constructivism, which knowledge should be constructed and re-constructed through interaction between learners or learners and artifacts. In this view, it is important to allow learners to have active interaction in the process of collaborative learning such as communication. The relationship between learners, which is built through active interaction enhances group cohesion, and promotes active participation in collaborative learning in both face-to-face and computer-based environment. This study aimed to develop and evaluate CSCL environment based on social presence, which contributes to enhance learning motivation and achievement. 1-2: Social Presence In light of the spread of e-learning, one of the useful viewpoints of evaluation in CMC use in learning is social presence. Learners’ perception of presence is affected by social presence, which Short, Williams, and Christie (1976) described as the “degree of salience of the other person in the interact ion and the consequent salience of the interpersonal relationship,” that is, the perceived proximity to real time communication in face-to-face settings. Short, Williams, and Christie (1976) suggested that the two factors which promote social presence are “immediacy,” which is the psychological proximity of the interlocutors and “intimacy,” which is the perceived familiarity caused by social behavior such as eye gazing, nodding, and smiling. White (2004) suggested that interactive learning is more effective than one-way (noninteractive) learning; however, a relevant concern is the connection between learning and interaction. Social presence is a significant concept for considering the method of connecting interaction to learning. Social presence is an important factor for promoting learning in distance learning (McIsaac & Gunawardena, 1996) and is considered to be emotionally effective. It enhances learners’ satisfaction with learning (Gunawardena & Zittle, 1997). In traditional text-based CMC, which lacks social cues, learners tend to increase their social presence in continuous communication by expressing their emotions in ways such as using emoticons. Derks et al. (2008)