Creating a Sense of Presence in Online Teaching E-Book

Rosemary M. Lehman

• Herausgeber: John Wiley & Sons
• Kategorie: Bildung
• Serie: Online Teaching and Learning Series (OTL)
• Sprache: Englisch

Seitenzahl: 210

Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2010

Beschreibung

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

Leseprobe

Table of Contents

Cover

Title page

Copyright page

LIST OF FIGURES, EXHIBITS, AND TABLES

FIGURES

EXHIBITS

TABLES

PREFACE

THE FOCUS OF THIS BOOK

WHO CAN BENEFIT FROM THIS BOOK

HOW THIS BOOK IS ORGANIZED

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

ABOUT THE AUTHORS

chapter ONE: The Role of Presence in the Online Environment

WHY IS IT IMPORTANT TO UNDERSTAND PRESENCE?

CREATING A SENSE OF PRESENCE

WHAT WE KNOW ABOUT PRESENCE

PRESENCE AS THE RESULT OF OUR PERCEPTUAL PROCESS

UNDERSTANDING PRESENCE

SUMMARY

chapter TWO: Ways in Which Presence Can Be Experienced

TYPES OF EXPERIENCE

MODES OF PRESENCE

DIMENSIONS OF THE LEARNER

THE BEING THERE FOR THE ONLINE LEARNER MODEL

SUMMARY

chapter THREE: Designing Your Online Course with a Sense of Presence

DETERMINANTS OF PRESENCE

FRAMEWORK FOR DESIGNING ONLINE COURSES WITH A SENSE OF PRESENCE

GETTING YOURSELF “THERE” FOR YOUR ONLINE COURSE

GETTING YOUR LEARNERS “THERE” FOR YOUR ONLINE COURSE

SUMMARY

chapter FOUR: Activities That Create a Sense of Presence in Your Online Course

BEFORE THE COURSE BEGINS

DURING THE ONLINE COURSE

END OF THE COURSE

HOW TO KNOW IF PRESENCE IS “THERE” IN YOUR ONLINE COURSE

SUMMARY

chapter FIVE: Are You Here or There? Making Sense of Presence

CASE 1: GETTING TO KNOW YOU AND YOUR COURSE

CASE 2: SECOND LIFE® PARTICIPATION AND BLOGGING

CASE 3: CREATING A WEB-BASED TRAINING COURSE AS A TEAM

CREATING A SYLLABUS WITH A SENSE OF PRESENCE

FINAL THOUGHTS AND FUTURE DIRECTIONS

APPENDIX 1: TRAINING RESOURCES

APPENDIX 2: ONLINE COURSE DESIGN RESOURCES

APPENDIX 3: SAMPLE SYLLABUS

COURSE NAME

SEMESTER, YEAR

COURSE DESCRIPTION

COURSE OBJECTIVES

INSTRUCTIONAL MATERIALS

WEBSITE RESOURCES

COURSE REQUIREMENTS

COURSE REQUIREMENT PERCENTAGES

GRADING SCALE

SPECIAL NOTES

COURSE OUTLINE

DEFINITIONS OF TERMS

REFERENCES

Index

Copyright © 2010 by John Wiley & Sons, Inc. All rights reserved.

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Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Lehman, Rosemary M., 1932-

 Creating a sense of presence in online teaching : how to “be there” for distance learners / Rosemary M. Lehman, Simone C. O. Conceição.

 p. cm. – (Jossey-bass guides to online teaching and learning ; 18)

 Includes bibliographical references and index.

 ISBN 978-0-470-56490-5 (pbk.)

978-0-470-87309-0 (ebk.)

978-0-470-87310-6 (ebk.)

978-0-470-87311-3 (ebk.)

 1. Web-based instruction–Social aspects. 2. Distance education–Social aspects. 3. Education, Higher–Computer-assisted instruction. 4. Human-computer interaction. 5. Emotions and cognition. I. Conceição-Runlee, Simone, 1963- II. Title.

 LB1044.87.L439 2010

 371.35′8–dc22

2010019253

LIST OF FIGURES, EXHIBITS, AND TABLES

FIGURES

2.1 The Being There for the Online Learner Model

3.1 Framework for Designing Online Courses with a Sense of Presence

EXHIBITS

4.1 Sample Online Course Welcome Letter

4.2 Sample Course Scavenger Hunt

4.3 Sample Individual Data Sheet

4.4 Getting-to-Know-You Survey

4.5 Biographical Form

4.6 Virtual License Plate

4.7 Where in the World Are You?

4.8 What Do You Like?

4.9 Facilitating Online Group or Team Activities

4.10 Sample Announcement Script

4.11 Sample Twitter Announcement

4.12 Sample End-of-Course Announcement

4.13 Final Course Announcement

4.14 Self- and Peer Feedback

TABLES

3.1 Examples of Determinants of Presence for Three Online Courses

3.2 Course Design Task and Timeline for an Existing Online Course

3.3 Incorporating a Sense of Presence in the Online Course

4.1 Determinants of Presence: Before the Online Course Begins

4.2 Determinants of Presence: During the Online Course

4.3 Examples of One-Way Instructor Content Presentation Activities

4.4 Examples of One-Way Learner Sharing of Course Materials

4.5 Determinants of Presence: End of the Online Course

4.6 Approaches for Gathering Information on a Sense of Presence

4.7 Questions to Ask for Determining Presence

5.1 Determinants of Presence for Case 1

5.2 Determinants of Presence for Case 2

5.3 Determinants of Presence for Case 3

PREFACE

Technology has become omnipresent in our lives. It is with us anytime, anyplace, anywhere; we hardly notice its existence; it has become ubiquitous. Technology brings information to us about what is going on in the world through the palm of our hands and allows us to access that information through the tips of our fingers.

From an educational perspective, technology has given us the opportunity to expand our knowledge and extend our reach to people and places we never considered before. The benefits are beyond our imagination: saving us time, travel, and cost; avoiding the necessity to take risks in going to other locations; allowing us to store information and knowledge and carry them with us wherever we go through mobile devices and other “green” technologies; connecting us to diverse people all over the world and bringing us closer together; allowing us to work in virtual communities that are no longer limited to physical places; and giving us the opportunity to be present with each other without boundaries.

This sense of “being there” with each other in the virtual space often happens informally and spontaneously as part of our everyday lives. But when we try to achieve this sense of being there in formal educational settings, we need a different way of thinking, feeling, and behaving from both an organizational and an instructional perspective. From an organizational perspective, the more structured environment requires that policies and practices be followed for the credential process. From an instructional perspective, it involves planning, intention, and design in order to ensure effective learning outcomes and meet quality standards.

The importance of creating a sense of presence in online teaching and learning environments cannot be overestimated. If you think about the basic difference between learning in the classroom and learning exclusively online, it is the separation of the instructor from the learner and the learners from each other. This separation often leads to feelings of isolation on the part of participants and has been a major cause of learner dissatisfaction in the online learning environment (Palloff & Pratt, 1999).

“Being there” in our book means being present with others in online teaching and learning in a virtual space. But being there in a virtual space in the formal setting doesn’t easily happen; rather, the sense of presence needs to be intentionally created. The concept of presence begins with an understanding of our perceptual nature and the influence of the perceptual system on the creation of presence. It is through learner and instructor awareness that presence can be understood and realized. Learner and instructor are psychologically, emotionally, and behaviorally present when they connect with others in an authentic way during the online learning experience. Understanding presence is complex. It requires us to take into consideration the social, psychological, and emotional aspects of presence and the ways in which they influence participants’ interactions in the online environment.

Our book provides a model for how to be aware of, think about, and understand creating a sense of presence in the online environment, and it proposes a framework for designing online courses with a sense of presence. Activities that create a sense of presence are described and connected to the model and framework, along with approaches and questions for gathering information on how presence is “there” in online courses.

THE FOCUS OF THIS BOOK

Our book focuses on the need for creating presence in the online environment, explores the concept of presence, and addresses the ways in which the creation of presence can contribute to more interactive online teaching and learning. Based on research and experience, our book provides practical examples through activities, illustrations, and cases that explain how to create, maintain, and evaluate presence throughout an online course.

Our book is based on a learner-centered approach. In this approach, a sense of presence means being there with online learners throughout the learning experience. It looks and feels as if the instructor has placed the learners at the center of the course development and created the course for these learners. It also looks and feels as if the instructor is accessible to the learners and the learners are accessible to the instructor and each other; in addition, the technology is transparent in the learning process. The learner is also involved in the design process by giving feedback and helping shape the online environment.

WHO CAN BENEFIT FROM THIS BOOK

The book offers instructors, instructional designers, and practitioners a guide to becoming aware of the concept of presence. Academics who teach instructional design may use this book as a resource for their courses. Practitioners who work with programs or organizations or as consultants may use this book as a guide when developing online courses or working as consultants assisting educators who create online courses.

HOW THIS BOOK IS ORGANIZED

The first two chapters offer an overview of current research on presence, along with examples. The first four chapters begin and end by following scenarios involving the hypothetical Amanda and Carlos, who illustrate the human experiences of a novice online learner and an inexperienced instructor in the online environment. As the book progresses, both grow and become aware of the importance of presence in the online environment thanks to positive course design and instructor training. These scenarios will help instructors who are new to online teaching and learning cope with their own feelings of insecurity, anxiety, and being overwhelmed in this new venture.

Chapter 1, “The Role of Presence in the Online Environment,” discusses why the sense of “being there” and “being together” is so important to online presence; defines the concept of presence and the difference between presence and engagement; and explains the social, psychological, and emotional aspects of presence in the online environment.

Chapter 2, “Ways in Which Presence Can Be Experienced,” discusses types of experience, modes of presence, and the dimensions of the learner. These concepts, grounded in perceptual research, help us understand the concept of presence and make up the Being There for the Online Learner model, which we introduce at the end of this chapter.

Chapter 3, “Designing Your Online Course with a Sense of Presence,” offers an instructional design framework based on the Being There for the Online Learner model. This framework uses the determinants of presence to design online teaching and learning. Three examples of online courses are presented to illustrate how to use this framework for creating a sense of presence. In addition, the chapter offers an overview of how to get “there” as an instructor and how to get the learners “there” in an online course. Because it is beyond the scope of this book to focus on the design aspects of online teaching and learning, training and design resources are suggested in this chapter.

Chapter 4, “Activities That Create a Sense of Presence in Your Online Course,” provides activity examples in the potential sequence in which they may be used (before the course begins, during the course, and at the end of the course).Within each sequence, the chapter explains how to use the determinants of presence and suggests approaches and questions for gathering information to help you know if presence is occurring in the online course.

Chapter 5, “Are You Here or There? Making Sense of Presence,” presents three activity case examples. Each one addresses one or more of the three sequences in an online course (before the course, during the course, and at the end of the course). The chapter then provides a sample syllabus that incorporates a sense of presence. It ends with final thoughts and future directions.

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

Creating this book was a lively and genuine experience of connecting and being present with each other during the writing process. Either face-to-face or online, we worked together combining our knowledge of the field and practical experience. We used a developmental approach for the writing process through continuous brainstorming and frequent feedback from online instructors and learners.

We would like to acknowledge the feedback we received from Brian Altman, Les Johnson, and Steve Schmidt during the early stages of the writing process. We would like to thank Les Johnson for helping us create the first draft of the graphics for the book. We are especially grateful to Vern Mason and Lei Zhangle from Union Pacific Media Studio at Michigan State University (http://www.bus.msu.edu/learcenter) for their artistic skills in transforming our two-dimensional concept of the model and framework into three-dimensional graphic designs. We also appreciate Steve Schmidt’s contribution of Case 1 in Chapter 5. His experience as an online instructor and adult educator strengthened our book. Our editor, Erin Null, provided invaluable insights, comments, and suggestions during the progress of our work that helped reshape our thinking and writing. She was “present” with us throughout the entire process, giving us highly professional and gracious feedback. To the most important individuals in our lives, our family members—your emotional and psychological support helped the creation process flow smoothly. Our special thanks to Don Lehman, who encouraged us to remain focused throughout our writing.

We hope this book creates an awareness of the importance of the concept of the sense of presence and an understanding of how to apply it in the online environment. The sense of presence can be an elusive concept, but the more we become aware of it and deeply understand it, the easier it will be to make it happen.

Rosemary M. Lehman

Madison, Wisconsin

Simone C. O. Conceição

Milwaukee, Wisconsin

ABOUT THE AUTHORS

Rosemary M. Lehman, Ph.D., is an author and consultant in the field of distance education. For nearly twenty years she worked for the University of Wisconsin-Extension. Most recently, she was the Senior Outreach/Distance Education Specialist at Instructional Communications Systems (ICS), University of Wisconsin-Extension (UWEX), and manager of the ICS Learning Design and Outreach Team, where she supervised the training of faculty and staff in the use of technology for teaching and learning, and taught via technology. She received her doctorate in distance education and adult learning, and her master’s in television and media critique, from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. She is the author of The Essential Videoconferencing Guide: 7 Keys to Success (2001) and a number of book chapters and journal articles, the editor of Using Distance Education Technology: Effective Practices (2002), and the coauthor of 147 Practical Tips for Synchronous and Blended Technology Teaching and Learning (2007).

Dr. Lehman’s research interests include teaching and learning at a distance for all ages; technology accessibility; the relationship of perception, emotion, and cognition to distance learning and instructional design; educational applications for media and technology; and the development and integration of learning objects into learning experiences. She has keynoted and presented at a wide variety of statewide, national, and international conferences and was the recipient of the 2005 University of Wisconsin-Extension Award for Excellence in distance education and leadership.

Simone C. O. Conceição, Ph.D., is an associate professor of adult and continuing education. She teaches courses in the areas of distance education, use of technology with adult learners, instructional design, and principles and foundations of adult learning. She received her doctorate in adult and distance education from the University of Wisconsin-Madison and her master’s in adult and continuing leadership education from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. Prior to joining the faculty, she was an instructional design/technology consultant, working with faculty and staff providing training and consultation on instructional design and the use of technology for instruction. She coauthored 147 Practical Tips for Teaching Online Groups: Essentials for Web-Based Education (2000) and is the editor of Teaching Strategies in the Online Environment (2007).

Dr. Conceição’s research interests include adult learning, distance education, impact of technology on teaching and learning, instructional design, learning objects, and staff development and training. Born in Brazil, she has lived in the United States since 1989. Her diverse background brings an international perspective to the fields of education and training. She has researched and identified many aspects of good practice in online environments, and she is an expert in helping instructors and trainers understand Web-based technology tools, software, and design processes. She received the 2006 Early Career Award from the Commission of Professors of Adult Education.

chapter ONE

The Role of Presence in the Online Environment

Scenario 1. At thirty-five, Amanda is a newly enrolled learner in an online master’s program in adult education. She works full-time for a training and development company, is married, and has a small child. Time is a premium in her life—that’s why she chose to enroll in an online program. This is her first experience with online learning, and her technology skills are limited. She is worried about the differences between the face-to-face courses she’s so familiar with and the courses she will now be taking. She wonders how she will interact with the instructor and other learners, how she will be able to feel that she belongs to a community of learners and feel that this experience is “real.” She is so used to working with trainees on an interactive basis that she cannot imagine how the feeling of “being there” and “being together” with others in this program will be possible. All she can envision is the computer and the books. She is beginning to feel lonely, anxious, and isolated.

Scenario 2. Carlos is a twenty-seven-year veteran instructor at a community college who was recently asked to offer his communications courses online. He is reluctant to do so because his classes are very interactive—they require small-group work, team project presentations, experiential field work, and active discussion. He worries that his years of teaching will be irrelevant. He does not understand how to adapt his course from the face-to-face to the online environment. He asks himself: How am I going to develop this course? What will my course feel and look like? How do I connect with my learners and get to know them? How will I adapt and implement the small-group work, team projects, and discussion activities to my online course? All he can see is the computer and his class materials.

As instructors and designers in the field of online education, we cannot overestimate the importance of creating a sense of presence in online teaching and learning. Close your eyes and envision for just a minute the basic difference between learning face-to-face and learning exclusively online. Even before the minute is up, it will likely be obvious to you that the basic difference is the separation between the instructor and the learner and between the learners and each other. This separation naturally leads to feelings of isolation on the part of instructors and learners alike and has been a major reason for learner dissatisfaction and lack of retention in the online learning environment (Palloff & Pratt, 1999), as suggested by Amanda’s scenario at the beginning of this chapter. The feeling of isolation is due to a lack of awareness and understanding of the concept of presence. In scenario 2, Carlos, the inexperienced online instructor, needs to be aware of and understand the concept of presence in order to effectively adapt his course to this new environment and feel a connection with his learners.

WHY IS IT IMPORTANT TO UNDERSTAND PRESENCE?

The Internet is a social space. Today, Internet technology is ever-present, completely woven into our lives. We accomplish many of our communications and transactions via the Web without even noticing. As a result of this omnipresent feeling, we tend to want to be together with others even though we can’t see them. These feelings of wanting to be together with others are often expressed through Internet-based social networking tools.

As Internet-based technology evolves in this social direction, it points to the importance of the sense of presence. To create presence in the online environment, we need to think, feel, and behave differently than we do in the face-to-face environment because we have to make an effort to be aware of the intentions of others and their thoughts, emotions, and behaviors when they are connected to us via technology (Biocca, Burgoon, Harms, & Stoner, 2001). When we become aware of and understand the differences between in-person and online interactions, we are better able to select appropriate technology and design learning environments that help create a sense of presence.

In this chapter, we will discuss why creating the sense of being there and being together is so important for online presence, define the concept of presence and the difference between presence and engagement, and explain the social, psychological, and emotional aspects of presence in the online environment.

CREATING A SENSE OF PRESENCE

Current research shows that when there is a sense of presence in online learning, it can greatly enhance the instructor-learner relationship (Munro, 1998). We agree with this research and believe that this goal can be accomplished. But this belief opens up an array of questions: What is a sense of presence? What does it look and feel like? How is it created? How is presence different from engagement?

What Is a Sense of Presence?

Biocca, Burgoon, Harms, and Stoner (2001) discuss the concept of presence as two interrelated phenomena: telepresence (the sense of “being there”) and social presence (the sense of “being together with others,” including people, animals, avatars, and so on). Telepresence in the online environment happens when learners have the impression or feeling that they are present at a location remote from their own immediate environment. Social presence means interactions with others in the online environment. We use the terms being there and being together in this book as the bases for our definition of a sense of presence.

What Does Presence Look and Feel Like?

From our perspective, a sense of presence is “being there” and “being together” with online learners throughout the learning experience. It looks and feels as if the instructor has placed the learner at the center of the course development and created the course for that learner. It also looks and feels as if the instructor is accessible to the learners and that the learners are accessible to the instructor and each other, and that the technology is transparent to the learning process. Each learner is “there” and “together” with the instructor and with other learners as well. Learners are also involved in the design process by giving feedback and helping shape the online environment. In the process, all the T’s have been crossed and the I’s dotted for this experience. In other words, the instructor has taken into consideration the entire learning experience prior to the course, during the course, and at the end of the course, along with all of the elements that help make presence happen. These elements will be introduced later in this chapter.

How Is Presence Created?

The teaching-learning process for creating presence online may feel overwhelming to those like Carlos who are new to the online environment. But it does not need to be. This book will suggest strategies to decrease these feelings. Still, it is important to know that a sense of presence doesn’t just naturally happen. Creating presence is a result of awareness, understanding, involvement through experience, and intentional planning and design on the part of the instructor, the entire support team (that is, instructional designer, technical support, and so on), and the learners who participate in and help negotiate that design. When this process is thoughtfully implemented, the impact on the learners—like Amanda—can be significant. It can create an awareness of what online presence means for them, help them break feelings of isolation, get them involved in the learning process, and bring them together in a virtual community.

How Is Presence Different from Engagement?