The document discusses best practices for instructors to create a strong online presence and build a learning community. It recommends that instructors provide frequent updates, announcements, and feedback using video to make the online experience more personal. A qualitative study asked students about using video in their online class. Students found video feedback, live lectures, and discussions helpful to feel more connected to their instructor and classmates and less isolated. While some students were anxious about live video, most felt it helped build rapport and made the online experience feel more like a traditional classroom.

1. Your Role as an Online Instructor: Coach,
Guide, Instruct, and Orchestrate
Cynthia Sistek-Chandler, Associate Professor, National
University, Sanford College of Education cchandler@nu.edu
Scott Campbell, Associate Professor, National University, School of Professional Studies scampbell@nu.edu
Online Teaching Conference 2017
http://tinyurl.com/otc2017ppt

2. Session Description
This session will examine the important role instructors have in creating
a strong online presence with their students. Online education has
revolutionized the way we teach and students learn. Student
expectations are changing, so must the role of the instructor. Students
spend an inordinate amount of time working independently. As a
result, students are much more likely to feel isolated relative to the
traditional on-site class experience. Therefore, it is incumbent on
instructors to create a strong online presence. Dr. Chandler and Mr.
Campbell will provide best practices for creating a strong presence
with students in the online class.

3. Big Ideas
• Building the Learning Community
• Instructor Presence/Teacher Centered
• Instructor Interaction
• Student Engagement/Learner Centered
• What Students Say
• What the research says about balance of the interaction in the online
learning community
• Applications of video in the classroom
• Qualitative Study

4. • http://tinyurl.com/otc17online

5. Building Community

6. Building Community

7. Building Community/Discourse
• Opening Email/Announcements
• First impressions
• Introductions (Video Asynchronous)
• First course meeting online Synchronous
• Frequent Updates, 3 times per week
• Wrapper Announcements/Updates

8. Building Community/Discourse Con't
• Threaded Discussion Wrap Up
• Students Share (2 minute talks)
• What's Due?
• Grading updates
• Shout Outs to SuperStar Students!
• Give thanks and honor!

9. Instructor Presence
Little or no interaction
No feedback
• Grading without
comments
• Grading without rubrics
• Not posting grades or
feedback!
Not respectful of time

10. Instructor Presence
Millennials
Not respectful of time
Busy work, more not
less
Need to go deeper and
broader
Encourage reflection
and metacognition
Time

11. Instructor Presence
Lectures are not learning
"Powerpointless "

12. Students as Learners
• Work Independently
• Interaction with instructor
• Interaction with each other
• Not a correspondence course
• Sense of isolation

13. Web 2.0 Projects
Voki/Video & Animations
Video
Models
Infographics
Tweet Style Comments
Students as
constructors of
knowledge

15. Application of Video in the Classroom
• Focus on instructor and student as creator (less emphasis on video
resources).
• Applications include (but not limited to):
• self introductions (e.g. Synchronous and/or asynchronous
sessions)
• feedback on student work
• videocentric synchronous communication sessions (and
recorded)
• announcements
• discussion board

16. Self Introduction
• Text or ideally, video:

17. Review of Student
Work
Feedback to Students
• Text (online
gradebook)
• Markup Comments
• Rubric
• Graphical/
infographic-
resource
• Audio
• Video/Audio

18. Synchronous Sessions w/Video

19. Embedded Video Announcement

20. Video-Based Posts in Discussion Board

21. Qualitative Data on Video in the Classroom
• Participants = students in a Computer Based Technology in the Classroom
course. Ten (?) responses from a class of twenty one students. Extra Credit.
• Objective: to determine student thoughts about using video to build
community in the online class (?)
• Use of video includes:
• Self Introductions (DB)
• Video feedback on assignments
• Embedded video in discussion threads
• Use Zoom web conferencing tool for weekly Live Sessions
• Announcements
• Discussion Board

23. Questions
1. Did you find the video feedback I provided helpful? If so/not, what did you like
(or not like) about it?
2. What is your impression of users being live on video in the Live Lecture in terms
of helping to build a stronger community in our online class? Please explain
your answer.
3. Overall, do you feel that the use of video in the classroom (Live Lectures,
feedback on assignments, etc.) to be a useful tool to help create a stronger
connection to other students and instructors in online classes?
4. Overall, do you feel that the use of video in the classroom (Live Lectures,
feedback on assignments, etc.) to be a useful tool to help create a stronger
connection to other students and instructors in online classes?

24. Did you find the video feedback I provided helpful? If
so/not, what did you like (or not like) about it?

25. "I did enjoy the video feedback it is easier to understand what your
reaction is by being able to see your face and it makes it a little more
personal."
"I did find the video feedback helpful. It allowed me to see what
mistakes I made while listening to the commentary. Something that you
do not find in a traditional classroom."
"….the feedback was more helpful to me than the written [sic]...when I
saw the video, it was as if I was in class with you and that you were
telling me exactly what you have in mind....the video let you go out all
the way and you take the time to say exactly what you want to say to
me. It was more convenient to me to listen to you than to read what
you would write."

26. What is your impression of users being live on video in
the Live Lecture in terms of helping to build a stronger
community in our online class? Please explain your
answer.

27. "..it made things a little more personal. It gave it more of a classroom
setting. I really enjoyed this I felt like I knew my classmates a little
better because I was able to put a face with a name. I also prefer an in
class setting over online…...this seemed to be the best of both worlds."
"It is way easier to comprehend and understand material that may have
been confusing to one person and not another."
“It is nice to put a face to names, and then look back at the bio
discussion board to remember who is doing what. I feel like that makes
the experience more like a conversation that you would have in an
onsite classroom."
"It was the first class I’ve ever taken where there was a live video, and I
earned 80% of my B.A. online. Actually seeing your classmates does
make a positive difference..."

28. "Sometimes just reading their discussion online gives a sense of
disconnection and actually seeing them in person makes you feel like a
class."
"It definitely gives the feeling of a stronger community because you can
put a face to the person you’re engaging with. It felt like a much more
'real' classroom and I really liked to see the diversity in our class as a
whole."
“I wasn’t very fond of the Live users on the required lectures. I find that
as an introverted student, being on camera made me extremely
nervous. One of the reasons I signed up for online classes was because
I’m not the best public speaker, and these live sessions at times caused
my anxiety to be out of control”

29. Overall, do you feel that the use of video in the
classroom (Live Lectures, feedback on assignments,
etc.) to be a useful tool to help create a stronger
connection to other students and instructors in online
classes?

30. "Yes, using ZOOM really allows you to feel like we are all in the classroom
together and makes it very easy to talk to your fellow classmates and
professor about what we have been learning and allows us to get questions
answered thoroughly, rather than just emailing which can sometimes lead to
confusion. It definitely built a stronger connection to other students as well
because we were able to all see and hear each other and discuss things that
we learned, which helped us teach each other.”
"I believe the live video to be a major plus for students. We are social
animals and need to have the social connection within the class. I feel the
videos provided that. It also helps build trust when you can see the person
you are talking with. I worked for a huge corporation where my boss never
made any video conference calls and for 2 years I never saw my boss. I had
no clue what he looked like or who he was. The trust built with even just a
picture can greatly help out."

31. “I do, it gives you more connection to the class and to the work. It
makes it more personal, you can’t just turn something in a hide. The
live video lectures make you explain yourself and your work.”
“Haven’t felt connected like this since actually taking a sit down
course.”
“Yes, absolutely. I wasn’t sure what to expect when I signed up for an
online program. The use of video actually made the class feel like a real
class and felt more interactive.”
“Furthermore, the commentary that was given to the assignments
allowed me to improve as a student and review the mistakes I made.”

32. “I do believe this is the best thing that could happen to online classes.
One can interact with each other, seeing a visual communication. One
can now fil in the blanks of what individuals look like and sound like.”
“Feedback on assignment is more promising for me, I hate the long
readings most of the time, now I get to hear exactly what you have to
say. And the fact that you address me by name, let me know that you
are talking directly to me when you are giving me my feedback.”
“Again, I do think it is a tool that makes the classroom more enjoyable,
and it is nice to not only hear people’s voices, but see their facial
expressions as well. When you are stating a point, and see heads
nodding, it is more reassuring than hearing nothing on the other side.”

33. Which video/s were most helpful (please list at least one or two), and
why?
Feedback on assignments most common response
Second most common dealt with my comments in Discussion Board
Also noted was Live Sessions (participating and recorded sessions) and video-
based Resources
Which video/s were most helpful (please list at least one or two), and
why?
Varied responses: DB feedback, Video resources, Live Session (no consensus).

34. Logistics
Requires access to hardware and software
Potentially a learning curve
Need for developing a workflow
Takes a bit more time
But worth the effort

35. Take-Aways
Video is critical to creating a strong online
presence and for building community.
Video serves to increase comprehension,
motivation, and trust.
Worth the extra effort of time and
resources.

36. Build the Learning Community
• Strong instructor, coach, facilitator, orchestrator presence
• Before the course begins
• Announcements
• During the course
• Feedback on Work
• Updates
• Synchronous Discussion Zoom or BB Collaborate
• Build the Social Presence
• Build the Cognitive Presence

38. Your Role as an Online
Instructor: Coach, Guide,
Instruct, and Orchestrate
Cynthia Sistek-Chandler, Associate Professor, National
University, Sanford College of Education cchandler@nu.edu
Scott Campbell, Associate Professor, National University, School of
Professional Studies scampbell@nu.edu
www.tinyurl.com/otc2017ppt