"Projecting your presence"
I'm not a fan of the phrase, "projecting your presence." But I am a fan of the strategy and psychology of earning the respect of your online students with consistent communication and reading their bios so you know your students. In my forthcoming book, 10 Golden Nuggets, chapter 1 is the admonition to "know your students." I think it is sometimes an underestimated part of adult education in general but certainly in an online environment. I project my presence by knowing: my stuff, my students and my shortfalls (whereupon I ask for help from students). After asking my very first class in adult ed some 15 years ago, I asked the class if they minded my personal examples and stories and they told me they actually loved them because it made me seem more "human" and "relateable". Even in an online environment, it is important to earn the presence and the phrase used seems too condescending to adult learners.
david,
I would agree with your statements. Making the content real and relevant for the students motivates them in their learning. When I think of your presence in an online course I think of just the things you mention.
Herbert Brown III
david,
I would agree with your statements. Making the content real and relevant for the students motivates them in their learning. When I think of your presence in an online course I think of just the things you mention.
Herbert Brown III
I prefer to engage my students one on one by sending emails or messages directly to them. This gives me the opportunity to focus on that students needs directly and I have gotten good feedback from this technique.
That's not to say that I don't engage in the class as a whole but when students have individual issues, I'll email them directly in the same manner that I would engage them one on one if they were in my physical classroom.
David,
I agree wholeheartedly with your comments on the importance of instructor presence. Having taken online courses myself, I've been extremely frustrated with instructs who never participate in a discussion. Students have the expectation of instructor discussion and feedback to ideas.
Andrea,
I agree. Your time connected with your course and students is directly tied to their perception of your "presence" in the course. If you are seldom connecting with them then they feel you are disconnected from the course and they may feel alone in their learning or worse, abandoned.
Herbert Brown III
Hi David,
Do you think that students take the time to read the instructor feedback? I wonder.
Janis
Janis,
Good question. As times they may not and at times they may. However, we can ensure that they do by posting additional follow up questions to their postings and then they are required to respond as part of their online participation (forum discussions) grade. It all depends on how you are using discussions.
Herbert Brown III
