This study was designed to examine social presence, to determine how it relates to online interaction, and to provide an operational definition. Participants were students in a graduate level course on the Internet for teachers at Arizona State University. By examining the learner's perception of social presence in three CMC (Computer Mediated Communication) systems (i.e., e-mail, bulletin board, and real-time chat), the following questions were addressed: (1) Is there a relationship between social presence and online interaction? (2) Do issues of privacy influence online social interaction? (3) Do social relationships affect online interaction? (4) Does task orientation impact online interaction? (5) How does online communication literacy impact interaction on CMC? and (6) Does the use of CMC intensify social interaction among online learners? It was concluded that three dimensions of social presence (i.e., social context, online communication, and interactivity) emerged, and the privacy factor correlated to the social presence theory. (Contains 27 references.) (MES)