Take Your Students Out of Solitary Confinement: Strategies for Increasing Social

Presence in University Online Courses

Kelvin Thompson, Ed.D.University of Central Florida

Caveats

• Practitioner-focused– Not addressing “why”

• See Community of Inquiry Model, Social Learning Theory, Social Constructivism, etc.

• See E-Learn 2010 Proceedings for some good references

– I don’t have this figured out. Work in progress.• Where– Course Management System (CMS)-based– Public or semi-public Web 2.0 tools

social presence, the degree to which one is perceived as a real person in a mediated environment

Short, Williams, and Christie (1976) Garrison, Anderson, and Archer (2000)

Course Designv.

Instructor Behaviors

Provide Communication Protocols

• Examples include:– How and when to use each venue (email, IM, etc.)– Clearly calling one another by name in visible

communications– Being specific about ideas to which one is

responding– Encouraging appropriate use of phatic

communication1

2

Create “Interaction” Assignments

• Introductory Interactions• Low/no score• Appropriate self-disclosure• Connect to course content• Instructor modeling (posting and responses)

• Interaction Assignments• Clear prompt for response• Provide explicit scoring criteria based on desired behaviors

- Require posting of student perspective- Require responses by classmates to student work- Address timing (to avoid “post and run” behavior)

3

Design Authentic Learning Assignments

• Practical, projects/tasks• High challenge, low stress (Csikszentmihalyi, 1994)

• Ideally, connect to student interests

These:• Require personal investment by students• Are worthy of substantive feedback– Peer review (provide guidance and incentive)– Instructor

4

Model Appropriate Self-Disclosure

• Share instructor bio at beginning of course• Create a warm welcome message • Drop tidbits of info in course communications

5

Cultivate a Humane Tone

• Beware of written messages that “zap.”• Express interest/concern.• Consider audio.• “Thanks for asking, John.”• “If you have any questions or concerns, please

let me know.”• “I noticed…. Is there something going on

about which I should be aware?”

6

Respond Quickly to Messages from Students

• Address turn-around time in syllabus• Be consistent• Notify students when you’ll be unreachable

7

Make Weekly Updates

• Text and audio (some students will use both)• Brief (less than 2 pages or 10 minutes)• Consider podcast tools (Box.net is useful)• “I felt like there was a real instructor there.”

8

Solicit Weekly Student Feedback

• Anonymous• Ask what worked and what didn’t• Include questions on “connectedness”

9

Respond To/Take Action on Student Feedback

• Podcast• Announcements• Email All

10

Give General Feedback

• Podcast• Announcements• Discussion Forum• Email All

11

Give Specific Student Feedback

• If large class, use scoring rubric with highlightable written descriptions (See http://irubric.com or “Grading Forms” in Blackboard’s WebCT Vista/CE)

• Provide person-specific written feedback is possible

• Include student name

12

Send Regular Content-Based Messages

• Course Email• Announcements• Twitter (embed widget in CMS)• HootCourse.com• Text messaging (SendGM.com or other)

13

Live in the Open

• Model participation in Personal/professional Learning Network (PLN)– Web 2.0 Tools– Social Networking/Media

Caution

• Time commitment (beware of diminishing returns)

• Some students resist (self-fulfilling false beliefs about online learning)

Wrap-Up/Conclusion

Cultivating Social Presence

Connectedness

Student Satisfaction

Follow Up

Kelvin Thompson, Ed.D.kthompso@mail.ucf.eduhttp://twitter.com/kthompso

http://bit.ly/thompson_elearn Presentation & Examples/Supporting Materials(audio to follow)