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Creating a Sense of Presence in Online Teaching: How to "Be There" for Distance Learners
Creating a Sense of Presence in Online Teaching
This important new resource shows how a strong sense of online presence contributes to greater student satisfaction and retention. The authors explore the psychological and social aspects of online presence from both the instructor and student perspective and provide an instructional design framework for developing effective online learning.
Based on solid research and extensive experience, the book is filled with suggested methods, illustrative case scenarios, and effective activities for creating, maintaining, and evaluating presence throughout an online course.
"The authors have taken the mystery out of the critical concept of presence by providing the theory that supports its importance and simple techniques to make it happen. Instructors who read this book will be able to develop effective online learning communities and achieve desired learning outcomes." -Rena M. Palloff and Keith Pratt, program directors and faculty, Teaching in the Virtual Classroom Program, Fielding Graduate University
"Lehman and Conceição blend hands-on experience, research, and a collection of practical tips to provide every online instructor with strategies for 'being there.' If you want to bring the real you into your online classes and take your online teaching to the next level, this is the book to read." -Chip Donohue, director of distance learning, Erikson Institute
"This book provides a practical and interactive model to help readers reflect on why and how they can guide online and blended learning activities, characterized by a personal 'sense of presence.'" - Alan B. Knox, professor, School of Education, University of Wisconsin-Madison
This important new resource shows how a strong sense of online presence contributes to greater student satisfaction and retention. The authors explore the psychological and social aspects of online presence from both the instructor and student perspective and provide an instructional design framework for developing effective online learning.
Based on solid research and extensive experience, the book is filled with suggested methods, illustrative case scenarios, and effective activities for creating, maintaining, and evaluating presence throughout an online course.
"The authors have taken the mystery out of the critical concept of presence by providing the theory that supports its importance and simple techniques to make it happen. Instructors who read this book will be able to develop effective online learning communities and achieve desired learning outcomes." -Rena M. Palloff and Keith Pratt, program directors and faculty, Teaching in the Virtual Classroom Program, Fielding Graduate University
"Lehman and Conceição blend hands-on experience, research, and a collection of practical tips to provide every online instructor with strategies for 'being there.' If you want to bring the real you into your online classes and take your online teaching to the next level, this is the book to read." -Chip Donohue, director of distance learning, Erikson Institute
"This book provides a practical and interactive model to help readers reflect on why and how they can guide online and blended learning activities, characterized by a personal 'sense of presence.'" - Alan B. Knox, professor, School of Education, University of Wisconsin-Madison
191 pages, Kindle Edition
First published July 30, 2010
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44 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews
June 19, 2014
I'd love to make this required reading for faculty I work with who are teaching online for the first time! Pretty basic level stuff, but explained well... I especially like the emphasis on how "presence" is very different online vs face-to-face.
September 25, 2017
Some good stuff, but most of it I had learned through experience.
February 13, 2019
A well-done study and proposal for effective online professorship!
December 30, 2015
It's very difficult to find good resources for online learning, so I was excited to hear about this resource and hopeful that it would translate well to my work. However, most of it was not actually applicable to my situation as my curriculum is delivered asynchronously (all of the students are working on different things at their own pace and at very different times of day, days of the week, etc.)
Most of the strategies that were offered in the book were things that felt very intuitive to me and that I had already been practicing at my own school for a couple years: Welcome Letters, keeping in touch throughout the year, communicating "end of semester" tips to help students finish well. Additionally, I found the book quite repetitive in places, emphasizing over and over the importance of 'presence' and what it meant.
There were some great samples in the book and I think that this could be a good resource for somebody like an older college professor who perhaps feels uncomfortable online and is designing a course for the first time. However, for somebody who is a 'digital native' or working in a nontraditional type of school, check this book out of the library as a resource, skim it for relevant points, but don't spend your money on it.
Most of the strategies that were offered in the book were things that felt very intuitive to me and that I had already been practicing at my own school for a couple years: Welcome Letters, keeping in touch throughout the year, communicating "end of semester" tips to help students finish well. Additionally, I found the book quite repetitive in places, emphasizing over and over the importance of 'presence' and what it meant.
There were some great samples in the book and I think that this could be a good resource for somebody like an older college professor who perhaps feels uncomfortable online and is designing a course for the first time. However, for somebody who is a 'digital native' or working in a nontraditional type of school, check this book out of the library as a resource, skim it for relevant points, but don't spend your money on it.
May 20, 2013
having taught online for a couple of years now I found this book to be extremely introductory, but could see how it might help a new online teacher.
for the most part I found myself skimming, but there are a couple of things to praise. one, it was nice to know that even though I don't always feel "there" I'm doing the things that are necessary for the students to feel "there". also, there were a few activity suggestions that i may modify a bit to help improve the introduction to the online classroom and limit Tue number of irritating questions and emails that I get at the beginning of each semester.
for the most part I found myself skimming, but there are a couple of things to praise. one, it was nice to know that even though I don't always feel "there" I'm doing the things that are necessary for the students to feel "there". also, there were a few activity suggestions that i may modify a bit to help improve the introduction to the online classroom and limit Tue number of irritating questions and emails that I get at the beginning of each semester.
July 29, 2014
Excellent book. If you are going into online teaching (or thinking of going into online teaching), this book is a must-read. Great information and strategies.
December 20, 2013
Wonderful book for online instructors. A quick, must read.
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews