Dude, Where's my Prof? Establishing Presence in the Online Classroom
Summary: At the end of this presentation, attendees will have learned techniques for enhancing their presence in their online course space, and will have seen examples of these techniques at work.
Description:
When it comes to instructor presence, different topics require different approaches. As instructor time can be limited, especially without a TA assigned to the course, special techniques were developed to facilitate the comfort and sense of presence students sought. This presentation illustrates how avatars and artwork, weekly faculty-written or filmed "columns," intro videos and Course Management System response mechanisms added a sense of instructor presence to courses in biology, journalism and social science.
The design of each course was approached with the student in mind, maximizing engagement between content, colleagues and instructor. In biology, use of comic art, a professorial comic avatar in conjunction with live video, a cartoon sidekick and a game exploring the scientific method were employed to reduce students' subject-related anxiety and put them at ease in the course. In journalism, use of intro videos or "columns" summarized important points in each chapter, and illustrated the instructor's fun personality to student viewers. In social science, use of course management system automations to refer to students by name, personalized student task lists and a customized theme tying the online course environment to publisher resources for aesthetic consistency allowed students to navigate multiple websites while feeling as though they remained in a single environment, guided by the professor. These course design mechanisms lend a personal touch to the courses, leaving professor "footprints" for students to follow.
Student feedback in the courses indicated enhanced satisfaction and decreased fear of subject, greater engagement with instructor and feeling that instructor was present in course space, and student engagement with this different type of content.
The design of each course was approached with the student in mind, maximizing engagement between content, colleagues and instructor. In biology, use of comic art, a professorial comic avatar in conjunction with live video, a cartoon sidekick and a game exploring the scientific method were employed to reduce students' subject-related anxiety and put them at ease in the course. In journalism, use of intro videos or "columns" summarized important points in each chapter, and illustrated the instructor's fun personality to student viewers. In social science, use of course management system automations to refer to students by name, personalized student task lists and a customized theme tying the online course environment to publisher resources for aesthetic consistency allowed students to navigate multiple websites while feeling as though they remained in a single environment, guided by the professor. These course design mechanisms lend a personal touch to the courses, leaving professor "footprints" for students to follow.
Student feedback in the courses indicated enhanced satisfaction and decreased fear of subject, greater engagement with instructor and feeling that instructor was present in course space, and student engagement with this different type of content.
Jessica Knott
Producer
Michigan State University / Virtual University Design and Technology
Producer
Michigan State University / Virtual University Design and Technology
Jessica Knott is a producer for Michigan State University's Virtual University Design and Technology department, helping professors learn to effectively integrate technology into their teaching. She holds a Bachelor of Arts in Journalism in with a specialization in public relations and a Master of Arts in Education, focusing on educational technology and K-16 leadership. She has worked in higher education information technology for nine years and her educational interests include student engagement and literacy in the online realm and the potential of social networking in higher education.