Instructor presence needs to be planned for more carefully in online courses than in face-to-face classes because it may not arise as spontaneously as it does when students and instructor share the same physical space. Here are some ideas for enhancing it:
- Include videos, especially ones that show you or at least ones that include your voice. The videos can be used to that present content, provide help with using technology or set up learning activities.
- Include icebreakers for the class, which help students to not only get to know each other but also get to know the instructor. This could be done with video or audio. Students can become better acquainted with the instructor as a person.
- Share some of your personality and interests so that students can get to know you as a person.
- Don’t worry about perfection in things like videos you produce. Perfection can come across as too slick, corporate and cold. Imperfections or letting students see something of your personality can help them get to know you. An example is Michael Welsch’s course video in which he admits to feeling awkward in front of the camera, for example.
- Provide feedback, which can contribute to the feeling of the instructor being present. Even written feedback can do this but audio or video feedback in which the learner hears or sees the instructor might be even more effective. When I’ve provided formative feedback on writing using Quick Time to produce a screencast, using audio to give the feedback, the response from students has been very positive. Students viewed the video multiple times, and one even shared it with his family!
- If possible, include some synchronous components in the course, be they meetings of the full class on a videoconferencing platform or a one-on-one check-ins or feedback sessions between the instructor and the student.
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