72 Copyright © 2010, IGI Global. Copying or distributing in print or electronic forms without written permission of IGI Global is prohibited. Chapter 4 Interface Design for Social Interaction in E-Learning Environments Luciane Maria Fadel UNOESC Videira, Brazil Mary C. Dyson The University of Reading, UK IntroductIon The wide use of computer networks to deliver education and the emergence of people-centred online education have dramatically increased the demand for systems that support social interaction (Anderson, 2003a; McInnerney & Roberts, 2004). Much work has been done to support e-learning successfully by understanding the interdependence of social and technical elements in a design space. Developments in social collaborative-based learning theories (Slavin, 1990; Vygotsky, 1984; Wenger, 1998) have linked the e-learning environments with online communities. By valuing the importance of people’s relationships, e-learning environments are now at a new and important stage in design development. Yet much of the effort to enhance the participation and interaction of people has focused AbstrAct This chapter concerns the contribution of the interface design to social interaction in e-learning envi- ronments. More specifcally this chapter focuses on the design of social facilities in the interface that are intended to motivate and sustain the process of communication among students. Although there are design constraints in creating an environment capable of supporting social interaction, previous research fndings indicate that social presence is a key factor for social interaction. In addition, previ- ous research has pointed out that social presence is affected by individual, social response and media variables, suggesting that an interface design might enhance social presence. This chapter explores the interface design by investigating how placing an emphasis on interaction facilities and incorporating text, images and animation affects students’ experiences of interacting with each other. The overall con- clusion is that the interface design can increase the number of interactions and enhance the perceived social presence in e-learning environments. DOI: 10.4018/978-1-60566-940-3.ch004