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Instructor Presence in Online Classes
1. I nstructor P resence Lisa M. Lane MiraCosta College A rather tortured view through the wonderland of online teaching
2. The Setting Image by John Tenniel, from Victorian Web http://www.victorianweb.org/art/illustration/tenniel/lookingglass/2.3.html
3. Stage 1: Curiousity Image by John Tenniel, from Victorian Web http://www.victorianweb.org/art/illustration/tenniel/alice/1.3.html
4. Stage 2: Feeling lost Image by John Tenniel, from Victorian Web http://www.victorianweb.org/art/illustration/tenniel/alice/2.3.html
5. Stage 3: Fading out Image by John Tenniel, from Victorian Web http://www.victorianweb.org/art/illustration/tenniel/alice/6.5.html
6. Be friendly :-) Image by John Tenniel, from Victorian Web http://www.victorianweb.org/art/illustration/tenniel/alice/11.1.html
7. Be approachable Image by John Tenniel, from Victorian Web http://www.victorianweb.org/art/illustration/tenniel/alice/5.1.html
8. Tools are important Image by John Tenniel, from Victorian Web http://www.victorianweb.org/art/illustration/tenniel/alice/8.3.html
9. Be vocal (and visual) Image by John Tenniel, from Victorian Web http://www.victorianweb.org/art/illustration/tenniel/alice/7.2.html
10. Listen Image by John Tenniel, from Victorian Web http://www.victorianweb.org/art/illustration/tenniel/alice/10.1.html
11. Encourage helpfulness Image by John Tenniel, from Victorian Web http://www.victorianweb.org/art/illustration/tenniel/lookingglass/5.1.html
12. Encourage collaboration Image by John Tenniel, from Victorian Web http://www.victorianweb.org/art/illustration/tenniel/alice/3.1.html
13. Encourage assessment Image by John Tenniel, from Victorian Web http://www.victorianweb.org/art/illustration/tenniel/lookingglass/8.5.html
14. Image by John Tenniel, from Victorian Web http://www.victorianweb.org/art/illustration/tenniel/lookingglass/5.3.html
Editor's Notes
They don’t call it Distance Ed for nothing. Online class settings create a false sense of control (I can come and go whenever I want) countered by a sense of automation (I do this and that happens) and a sense of community (look at all these people in this class) countered by a deep loneliness (it’s just me and my computer).
things are different here, but that’s OK....
until there’s nothing left but an account and an occasional log-in must catch them at the curiosity stage and hold them with things that convince them you’re there and you care
Be friendly -- emoticons are your friend even when just making annoucements -- writing style, colloquial for some, formal for formal work
Gmail chat badge, IM, quick email reply, Messaging system, open conversation in forum
Your voice, video talking head is really quick
act like you care, even if you don’t -- use their names in replies
FAQ is a good start -- a help forum should be run by them first
Ask along the way, with polls or surveys (CATs) pulled back into announcements and discussions
Being there in a number of ways will have them coming to you, instead of you chasing them down The End