Learning to Develop Presence Online: Experienced Faculty Perspectives.

AbstractPresence describes the ways in which human beings interact with each other. This qualitative study sought to understand the techniques experienced online teachers learned in order to be "present" with their students. Data were gathered primarily through interviews and syllabus reviews. The findings included techniques the teachers used when organizing and planning their courses, communicating with students, incorporating collaborative work and encouraging student self-direction, and developing learning relationships in their online courses.What is Presence? Presence describes the ways in which human beings interact with each other. In the online environment interactions are mediated through technology, which changes the character of the interactions and can change the ways in which they are perceived. Gunawardena (1995) was one of the first to explore computer- mediated communication (CMC) and its effects on human interactions. Her review of the literature demonstrated that participants of CMC often perceived the conferences as interesting or engaging, yet the medium was not perceived as "social" even when visuals of the other participants were available. To help overcome that perception, Gunawardena encouraged moderators to take responsibility for promoting "interactions and collaborative learning" among CMC participants (p. 147). As technology improved and the use of technology in higher education expanded, Garrison, Anderson, and Archer (2000) came together to find ways to address the human and teaching issues as well as the cognitive goals that emerged in their own online, text-based programs. Their collaboration resulted in the "Community of Inquiry" framework. Within the framework it was assumed that learning occurred "within a Community of Inquiry that is composed of teachers and students" (p. 88). The model was depicted as three interlocking circles with each labeled with one form of "presence": cognitive presence, teaching presence, and social presence. They described teaching presence as the "binding element" (p. 96.) in the development of an online community.More recently, Garrison, Cleveland-Innes, and Fung (2010) explored the causal relationships among the presences in the Community of Inquiry. Using a survey instrument developed in previous research (Arbaugh, 2007), these researchers explored the usefulness of the Community of Inquiry as a "theoretical tool to understand the complexities of the causal relationships among teaching, social and cognitive presences" (Garrison, Cleveland-Innes, & Fung, 2010, p. 35). The results supported previous findings of teaching presence as an important role in an online community and provided more clarity around the "importance of teaching presence in creating and sustaining social and cognitive presence in online learning environments" (p. 35). As these studies suggest, teachers make a difference in the learning process online. Consequently, it is important for educators to understand how to be "present" with students.Why Presence MattersUnderstanding how to be present with students online can influence the perception of a quality educational experience for both teachers and students. Presence is thought to improve learning and student persistence online, increase teacher and student satisfaction, and improve the perception of quality in the online environment (Garrison, Anderson, & Archer, 2000; Lehman & Conceicao, 2010; Stavredes, 2011). Creating presence with others online is thought to be a purposeful effort that includes development of the right skills and teaching approach (Garrison, Anderson, & Archer, 2000; Gunawardena, 1995; Lehman & Conceicao, 2010). The physical distance between teachers and students can make it seem that the development of presence is unnecessary or even impossible to accomplish, but it might be worth the effort. As previously described, teachers have an impact on student learning online, and can reduce a student's sense of isolation, encourage collaborative learning, and offer emotional support for students who lack confidence (Garrison, Anderson, & Archer, 2000; Kehrwald, 2010; Lehman & Conceicao, 2010; York & Richardson, 2012). …