Our
Presence in an Online Course
Blended & Hybrid Learning
The role of an online instructor is critically connected
to three basic kinds of presence: Teaching Presence, Social Presence, and
Cognitive Presence. But which of these three types of presence is the most
important?
In hindsight, we teachers do not much worry about these
kinds of presence because –somehow- it is taken for granted that they actually
take place in a F2F course. Our teaching presence is there in our F2F classes
since we are the ones in charge of designing, planning, facilitating, and
directing our students. Physically speaking, we are there providing feedback
and coaching learners in situ.
As Neil J. Anderson once stated in a workshop over here
in Costa Rica, some years ago, we teachers have to create a class culture that
gives us room for some good social presence and human interaction needed among
students and teachers. By means of a class culture fully consolidated in class,
we provide students with an opportunity to identify themselves with the
community (their course, their partners, their instructors, their study
program, and the like).
In a F2F environment we definite ensure student
cognitive presence. This presence implies “the extent to which learners are
able to construct and confirm meaning through sustained reflection and
discourse” (Garrison, Anderson, & Archer, 2000). We instructors are there
to guide students towards the achievement of the course learning goals, towards
the building of their knowledge and expertise.
However, when we switch from a F2F VLE into an online
course, which of these four types of presence is the most important? Going back
to Dr. Anderson’s Class Culture, in an online class we must make our (social)
presence be felt. Instructors must make students feel that they are part of a
learning community and facilitate the exchange of ideas and discussions among
class members. This social presence must be started from the very beginning of
a course to ensure the creation of the Class Culture needed to have a class
fully operational.
If our social presence is the most important one in an
online course, how can we guarantee the full operation of our Class Culture? We
can overlook the fact that we instructors are dealing with human beings who are
social beings as well. This implies that, as it was once pointed out by Stephen
Krashen, it is imperative that students’ affective filter is low to safeward
their learning. An low affective filter simply implies that students are at
easy in one’s course, that they are willing to participate and ask for
clarification when needed, and that they are fully part of a learning
community, our course.
Making our social presence certain in an online course
is the one thing that will have the greatest impact on student learning within
an online course. Teacher social presence can guarantee optimal student
learning (cognitive presence) and great guidance towards the building of
students’ knowledge (teaching presence). Somehow, our social presence is the
cornerstone of an effective online course.
E To fully develop and comprehend this teaching issue,
it’s advisable to research and expand these areas:
1
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Making your presence felt in online teaching
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2
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The building of a learning community
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3
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The Affective Filter and online learning
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4
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Methods to enhance social presence in VLEs
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5
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The Concept of Class Culture by Dr. Neil J. Anderson
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Anderson,
Neil J. (2004) Building a Class Culture. In-Service Training at CCCN. San Pedro: CCCN, Costa Rica
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Garrison, D. R. (2011). Community of inquiry: CoI
model. Retrieved from http://communitiesofinquiry.com/model
|
Wilson,
Reid. (2000) A Summary of Stephen Krashen's
"Principles and Practice in Second Language Acquisition" Retrieved from http://www.languageimpact.com/articles/rw/krashenbk.htm
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Professor
Jonathan
Acuña-Solano
ELT
Instructor & Trainer based in Costa Rica
Freelance ELT Consultant four OUP in
Central America
For
further comments or suggestions, reach me at:
@jonacuso –
Twitter
Other blogs and sites I often write for my students at
the university are:
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