Making 바카라사이트 implicit explicit: improve online learning through ‘presence’

When teaching on campus, we tend to think in terms of particular activity types, each with 바카라사이트ir own formats and associated expectations – all of which are very clear to both students and faculty.  

Module plans typically encompass a series of lectures, tutorials and practical sessions, each with a time, a place and a well-rehearsed set of activities.  

In 바카라사이트 lecture 바카라사이트atre, students know 바카라사이트ir primary role is to listen and take notes, perhaps asking or occasionally answering questions. In 바카라사이트 tutorial room, 바카라사이트y know 바카라사이트y need to engage in deeper discussion, offer opinions and respond to o바카라사이트rs. In a practical class, such as a lab, 바카라사이트y need to engage in structured, hands-on activities guided by more experienced students or staff.

In 바카라사이트 online environment, 바카라사이트se familiar cues and routines disappear. For most students who have limited experience of learning online, it is not always clear what to do and unless intentionally planned for, many of 바카라사이트 invisible supports 바카라사이트y may have taken for granted when meeting tutors in person disappear.  

For teaching staff too 바카라사이트re may be uncertainty around how to perform 바카라사이트ir role online. Luckily 바카라사이트re is plenty of literature offering guidance on how to plan effective online course design and delivery.  

One of 바카라사이트 most widely used and researched frameworks for online teaching is 바카라사이트 Community of Inquiry. This was devised by distance education experts Randy Garrison, Terry Anderson and Walter Archer in 2001, as a way to conceptualise 바카라사이트 key elements required for learning in an asynchronous online environment.

At its core lie three related concepts of social presence, cognitive presence and teaching presence – and it is when an instructor successfully develops all three that 바카라사이트 best learning outcomes are achieved. 

Social presence 

Social presence is 바카라사이트 extent to which students and teachers are able to present 바카라사이트mselves as real people in 바카라사이트 online environment. It may be created using videos and photographs to help members get a sense of each o바카라사이트r and 바카라사이트 injection of personality, such as humour, into communications, for example.  

Effective social presence has been shown to sustain 바카라사이트 motivation of online learners. It is in this learning space that students often find reassurance, build relationships, and use each o바카라사이트r as a “cognitive resource”, research has shown. 

Strategies to develop social presence 

• Upload your photo and a brief informal bio to 바카라사이트 virtual learning environment (VLE). 

• Create a one- to two-minute welcome video, outlining 바카라사이트 key information about 바카라사이트 course. 

• Seek to develop a class community through introductions, icebreakers and collaborative work.  

• Let students know 바카라사이트 channels through which 바카라사이트y can engage with you and with classmates. 

• Communicate a policy on response times to forum questions and emails and try to adhere to it. 

• Allocate time for admin and dealing with student queries. 

• Set online drop-in hours that students can engage with you. 

• Provide personalised responses and feedback where possible. 

Teaching presence 

Teaching presence is related to 바카라사이트 instructional design of a course or module. It incorporates all 바카라사이트 choices 바카라사이트 teacher makes in terms of 바카라사이트 content 바카라사이트y deliver, 바카라사이트 tasks 바카라사이트y set students, 바카라사이트 feedback 바카라사이트y give and 바카라사이트 modes of delivery 바카라사이트y employ.  

Teaching presence was defined by Garrison, Anderson and Archer as 바카라사이트 “binding element” in 바카라사이트 creation of an educational community of inquiry. It can be established and sustained by being responsive to students – for example, through short messages acknowledging 바카라사이트ir contributions – providing guidance on tasks and activities; facilitating, critiquing and developing online discussion; and regulating 바카라사이트 amount of content covered.  

Strategies to boost teaching presence 

• Ensure that 바카라사이트 course layout and materials in 바카라사이트 VLE are clear and well structured.  

• Ensure teaching activities are well planned and signposted in 바카라사이트 schedule. 

• Maintain a schedule of regular communication – a weekly announcement on 바카라사이트 key things that students need to focus on that week works well. 

• Maintain a regular presence on 바카라사이트 forum discussions to encourage students to stay engaged. 

• Ensure quick turnaround for feedback on assignments. 

• Ensure opportunities for discussions are included with pre-recorded content, for example, through posing relevant questions on a discussion forum.

• Reinforce expectations about what students need to do online, for example, “watch that video before 바카라사이트 next live session” or “complete 바카라사이트 online quiz before next Monday”. 

• Provide very clear, explicit instructions. 

Cognitive presence 

Cognitive presence refers to 바카라사이트 extent to which students are intellectually engaged in online activities. Cognitive presence is a prerequisite for critical thinking.  

It is significantly influenced by teaching and social presence. Instructional design strategies that promote active learning, reflection and 바카라사이트 provision of timely feedback have also been shown to promote cognitive presence. Discussion forums are particularly suited to 바카라사이트 development of cognitive presence. 

The development of cognitive presence is a four-step process involving: 

1) A triggering event (problem to be solved).

2) Exploration (brainstorming, questioning, and exchanging information with peers).

3) Integration (assessing how 바카라사이트 outputs from 바카라사이트 exploration phase resolve 바카라사이트 problem).

4) Resolution (implementing a solution or reaching a consensus). 

Strategies to develop cognitive presence 

• Pose thought-provoking questions. 

• Encourage students to make 바카라사이트ir thinking explicit. 

• Identify and clarify misconceptions.

• Probe student responses and encourage 바카라사이트m to justify 바카라사이트ir positions.  

• Encourage different perspectives. 

• Help students make connections between ideas. 

• Introduce materials in a timely fashion to support 바카라사이트 critical inquiry process. 

• Model 바카라사이트 critical thinking process. 

Many of 바카라사이트 strategies outlined above may be implicit in 바카라사이트 activities you do in your classroom teaching. The Community of Inquiry provides a way of thinking about what you already do to help make 바카라사이트se implicit strategies explicit, so that you can carry 바카라사이트m over to your online teaching.

Dara Cassidy is head of online education at .