The Effect of Sense of Community on Learner Satisfaction in Online Learning : A Meditating Model

This study examines the effect of sense of community on the relationship between learner satisfaction and influencing factors related to the online learning environment. Influencing factors related to the online learning environment are derived from previous literature and classified into two groups : social dimension (leader's enthusiasm, offline activities) and system dimension (usefulness, ease of use, enjoyability). Learner satisfaction is defined as the learners' perceived learning gains from taking an online class. Study participants included 250 university students from two different institutions. The participants were divided into 43 groups and asked to complete an online TOEIC preparation module using a commercial cooperative learning system over 4 weeks. Data were collected at three points for each participant, at the beginning, 3 weeks after, and at the end of the online module. Two system factors related to the online learning environment (ease of use, usefulness) directly influenced learner satisfaction, while social factors indirectly influenced learner satisfaction through the mediating role of sense of community.