How virtual learning community influences student satisfaction

With the development of the online communication platform, teachers could build a virtual learning community to provide a "second classroom" to interact with students and improve teaching efficiency. Drawing upon social exchange theory and cognitive load theory, this study explored the effect of teacher interaction in the class virtual community on student satisfaction. A multi-wave survey including 525 students was conducted. Results showed that teacher interaction in the virtual community has a positive effect on students' satisfaction by promoting knowledge sharing, but it also has a negative effect on students' satisfaction by increasing learning pressure. The positive effect of teacher interaction in the virtual community is strong for students who have a high preference for virtual communities, whereas the negative effect is magnified for students who have a low preference for virtual communities. The findings provide a comprehensive picture of the effect of virtual community in enhancing teaching quality and reveal the underlying mechanisms.