The key message is that for educators to be present with your online students requires more intentionality than you as an educator are accustomed to when teaching in person. Unlike your physical classroom, your online class may not naturally be a place that you pass by frequently, or that you pop into. It’s essential to carve out time in your schedule and develop new habits in order to give your online students the attention they deserve. However, these new habits can be inculcated through simple and small steps which are easy to follow in an online classroom.
Thank you for taking this ‘Being Present in Your Online Teaching’ course which has been developed with Flower Darby. We hope you have enjoyed it. Remember to mark this lesson as ‘Mark Complete’ to earn your Course Completion Badge.
Further reading
Michelle Pacansky-Brock's work on humanizing online learning
5 Ways to Connect With Online Students by Flower Darby
6 Quick Ways to Be More Inclusive in a Virtual Classroom by Flower Darby
References
Blankstein, M., Frederick, J. K., and Wolff-Eisenberg, C. (2020). Student Experiences During the Pandemic Pivot. Ithaka S+R.
Darby, F. and Lang, J. M. (2019). Small Teaching Online: Applying Learning Science in Online Classes. Jossey-Bass. In particular Chapter 4 on Building Community.
Garrison, D. R., Anderson, T., and Archer, W. (2000). Critical inquiry in a text-based environment: Computer conferencing in higher educationmodel. The Internet and Higher Education, 2(2-3), 87-105.
Garrison, D. R., Anderson, T., and Archer, W. (2010). The first decade of the community of inquiry framework: A retrospective. The Internet and Higher Education. 13. 5-9.
Lortie, D. C. (1975). Schoolteacher: A Sociological Study. Chicago: University of Chicago Press.
Stone, C., and Springer, M. (2019). Interactivity, connectedness and 'teacher-presence': Engaging and retaining students online. Australian Journal of Adult Learning, 59(2), 146.