Creating Presence in Online Teaching

Research suggests that a sense that the professor is present in an online class will enhance professor-student relationship and will benefit student performance and learning. The sense of presence doesn’t just happen naturally, and the professor must consider it before, during and after the course. To create an online learning community the professor needs to address many students’ needs and will act as a “designer of activities as the course evolves, facilitator of group discussions, catalyst for interactions, observer, evaluator, mentor and tutor” (Lehman & Conceicao, 2010, p.66).

To increase your presence in your online classroom, consider using the following activities:

• Send students welcome letters and orient them to the course;
• Introduce yourself to students and encourage students to introduce themselves to one another by using Individual Data Sheets, Getting-To-Know-You Surveys or Biographical Forms;
• To encourage relationships among students use ice-breakers such as Virtual License Plate, Where in the World are You, or What Do You Like;
• Hold electronic office hours (for example, use Skype or chat to communicate with them);
• Post frequent announcements;
• Assign team projects, debates, or blog exercises;
• Provide detailed digital feedback on assignments or to narrate instructions by creating personalized videos (for example, using Jing, Camtasia, Snagit, or Screenr);
• Use activities for one-way learning sharing of course material such as concept maps, participant videos, labwork, interviews, and trigger videos;
• Create class collages;
• Use discussion board to encourage student collaboration and interaction.

Lehman, R.M., & Conceicao, S.C.O. (2010). Creating a sense of presence in online teaching: How to “be there” for distance learners. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.