Discord connects: Fostering social presence in higher education

Abstract

Student engagement in online and blended learning environments depends on fostering social presence, yet institutional communication tools often fail to support the informal and dynamic interactions that build a sense of community. While Learning Management System discussion boards provide structured communication, students increasingly turn to external platforms such as Discord, which may offer more effective opportunities for collaboration and engagement. Despite growing interest in student-led communication tools, research comparing their effectiveness with institutional platforms remains limited. This study examines the role of Discord in fostering social presence in a first-year university game design course over six years, comparing its use from 2018 to 2022 with Canvas Discussions in 2023. A longitudinal content analysis of online interactions was conducted to investigate student engagement and the presence of social indicators across both platforms, with illustrative examples included to demonstrate how these indicators manifested in practice. Findings indicated that students posted more frequently and demonstrated significantly higher indicators of social presence when using Discord, whereas student posts on Learning Management System discussion boards showed limited to no indicators of social presence. The analysis also revealed how the nature of social presence shifted over time, shaped by platform features and influenced by external factors such as the pandemic. These results suggest that informal, student-oriented communication platforms may be more effective than institutionally controlled Learning Management System discussion boards in promoting interaction and community building in online learning. The study contributes to discussions on digital pedagogy by highlighting the role of platform selection in shaping student engagement and social presence in higher education.