Construction of social presence in blended learning environments: Utilizing information technology to enhance student-centered university education

With the deepening application of information technology in higher education, the construction of students' social presence in blended learning environments has become a key factor affecting educational quality. This study employed a mixed-methods design, using 120 undergraduate students from a provincial key university as research subjects, and through quasi-experimental research explored the mechanism and influencing factors of information technology in promoting social presence construction. The findings revealed that students' overall social presence level in blended learning environments was moderately high (M=4.82), with the affective expression dimension scoring highest (M=5.12), while the group cohesion dimension showed considerable room for improvement (M=4.61). The development of social presence demonstrated distinct temporal phase characteristics, significantly increasing from 4.45 at the beginning of the semester to 5.18 at the end. The research confirmed a strong correlation between social presence and learning outcomes, explaining 47.2% of the variance in learning satisfaction, with a correlation coefficient of 0.645 with continued learning intention. Different technological tools exhibited differential effects in promoting social presence, with synchronous video conferencing systems showing the best results (5.74). Specific matching relationships existed between technological functional characteristics and social presence dimensions. The frequency of technology use and social presence showed an inverted U-shaped relationship, with optimal usage frequency being 7-9 times per week. Multi-level moderation effect analysis indicated that individual characteristics (introversion-extroversion personality, β=0.416), environmental factors (course subject characteristics, β=0.412), and technological factors (platform friendliness, β=0.451) significantly moderated the relationship between technology use and social presence. The study constructed a matching theory between technological functional characteristics and social presence dimensions, expanding the application boundaries of social presence theory in blended learning contexts, and providing important theoretical foundation and practical guidance for the precise design of blended learning environments and student-centered educational reform.