Create an online presence

Creating a sense of ‘social presence’ helps students to feel connected and a part of the online learning environment, which can be disengaging and isolating for some. By interacting with students on a personal level via welcome videos, discussion forums, and Zoom sessions, you can help build trust and establish a safe space for learning.

This will also help you manage your ‘teaching presence’ by monitoring student engagement and participation levels, and adjusting as necessary to accommodate the needs of different students. Using the discussion forums to construct meaning out of the content is also a great way to build ‘cognitive presence’ by reinforcing learning objectives and course expectations in an ongoing way.

Tips

• Make a welcome video introducing yourself and the course
• Have the students also post photographs of themselves and write biographies to share with the class; use ice breakers or activities to get started
• Initiate, facilitate and encourage students to interact with one another through teamwork, discussions and reflections
• Create a safe environment where people feel comfortable sharing and participating; set the tone for the class
• Be human and use caring, informal language that students can relate to
• Be respectful, empathetic, supportive, positive, encouraging and open
• Mix it up: use video, audio, chat, forums, etc.
• Give prompt feedback
• Maintain frequent contact
• Observe student engagement data; identify at-risk students