Online Teaching

Interaction and Presence


Interaction

An online course integrates many opportunities for instructors and students to exchange substantive ideas related to content, ask questions, provide feedback, and communicate information about the course. Three types of online engagement are generally categorized as (1) student-to-content, (2) student-to-student, and (3) student-to-instructor (or instructor-to-student) (Moore, 1993). The degree, frequency, and choice of the type of engagement is directed by a combination of factors, including the learning outcomes, the instructor’s teaching philosophy, and the needs of the students.

Student-to-Content

Interactions between student and content are facilitated when course content uses relevant examples and activities to create connections to stated learning outcomes. You may consider creating opportunities for learners to engage in self-reflection to encourage deeper learning or encouraging students to extend concepts learned beyond the course and apply in alternate contexts.

Student-to-Student

Student-to-student interaction in an online course often takes place during discussion activities, when students are reading and responding to their classmates’ discussion posts, but also happens when you design experiences where students engage collaboratively on cognitive tasks. This engagement can be done in small group settings, with reporting out to the class. You may consider using peer review as a way to evaluate student engagement. 

Student-to-Instructor

Interactions between you and students—either instructor-to-student or student-to-instructor—are especially important in building a community of inquiry. Types of interactions between you and students vary—from follow-up responses to discussion posts, to feedback on students’ work, to emails about an upcoming special event. The relational roles of you and students should be clear and consistent throughout the course experience.

Presence

Online presence is described by Lehman and Conceição (2010) as a combination of “being there” and “being together,” meaning creating a sense for students that they are not at home, at the library, etc. in front of the computer, but at the centre of course designed for them, where they can interact with the instructor and other students. A teaching presence contributes to motivation for learning and a sense of community.

You can establish and maintain presence in an online course through multiple and frequent forms of communication, including through regular announcements, emails, and office hours. Other options for giving students a sense of your presence in the course include:

  • Each week, record a short video to recap the previous week’s goals and motivate students to work on the next week’s course materials.
  • Provide timely, personalized feedback for assignments.
  • Create feedback surveys or polls to determine how students are doing.
  • Read students’ discussion posts and contribute to the conversation by asking follow-up questions or probing for more detail.

Communication

Communication with your students is of particular importance in an online class, especially as a way of establishing and maintaining your presence. Using multiple forms of communication consistently can keep your students informed and aware of your expectations and any upcoming deadlines.

Here are some different forms of communicating with students:

  • Email your students, either through Office 365 or using the Brightspace Classlist tool
  • Post an announcement (video or text) for all students in your Brightspace course homepage
  • Use Brightspace homepage widgets to highlight important information
  • Host an “ask questions or get help” forum using the Brightspace Discussions tool

Office Hours

Office hours in the online environment can happen as they do in-person, but with the help of a synchronous meeting platform like Collaborate Ultra or Microsoft Teams. The questions that students bring to your office hours, if general information, can then be included in your next class announcement, as part of an email to your students, or as content for the Brightspace Frequently Asked Questions tool and corresponding widget.
 

References

Lehman, R., & Conceição, Simone C. O. (2010). Creating a sense of presence in online teaching: How to "be there" for distance learners (Jossey-Bass Guides to Online Teaching and Learning; 18). San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.

Moore, M.G. (1993). Three types of interaction. In K. Harry, M. Hohn & D. Keegan (Eds.), Distance education: New perspectives (pp. 12-24). London: Routledge.