Welcome to the Teaching & Learning Guide for Developing Your Online Presence! 

This guide includes best practices to help you:

• Define online presence

• Explain why online presence is important 

• Identify instructor-created content for increasing online presence

• Identify strategies for effective communication and feedback

• Identify effective time management strategies while maintaining a consistent presence online

Online asynchronous courses are distinct from face-to-face or synchronous online courses in one major way: there are no real-time sessions for instructors to connect with students. Asynchronous courses can be convenient and accessible options for many students, but present challenges for instructors when it comes to interacting with students. 

How do we specifically define presence in an online course? Mandernach, Robertson, and Steele summarize online presence: “In an online classroom, presence is more than just being responsive to forum posts or personal email interactions, and extends to being aware of students' individualized learning needs and responding in an empathetic and supportive manner” (2018). In this guide, we'll explore actionable techniques to increase instructor presence to support student success. 

Research on student satisfaction with online courses consistently shows that students prefer when they feel the presence of their instructor in the course. Many students in online course research say they feel as if they are on their own in the learning process. In other words, students feel as if their instructor is not present in the course (Glazier and Harris, 2021)

We know that students are more successful in online courses when they feel that their instructor is visible. Courses have the highest success rates when the instructor is also supportive and engaged. This student success is attributed to the interconnected framework of student engagement, motivation, and satisfaction. 

As Authement et al. (2025) note, “When instructors actively engage and demonstrate consistent support, students feel more connected, which strengthens their motivation and confidence in navigating course material.” Simply put, when instructors actively model enthusiasm and support, students mirror that motivation, feeling more confident because they know their instructor is invested in their learning. 

Beyond support and motivation, instructor presence has a practical positive effect on student success in that instructors are more available to assist students. When instructors consistently engage with students in a course, it improves academic outcomes because students feel comfortable asking questions and seeking help. And even if students don’t seek support, instructors can regularly see how students are doing and tailor their approach.

Instructor presence begins before students even enter the online space. Instructors can lay the foundation for being present through their course design. Structured design can free up cognitive space for instructors to focus on meaningful engagement rather than troubleshooting logistics. 

Consistent yet flexible course design can effectively and efficiently set up an instructor to prioritize presence. Wisneski et al. (2024) argue that clear and consistent course structure, along with engaged instructors and dynamic delivery, are the most consistent predictors of student success in online courses. 

Some examples of consistent yet flexible design include: 

• Maintaining a predictable week-to-week routine (e.g., introduction, readings, assignments), and pairing it with a weekly announcement summarizing collective feedback based on that week's observations. Students know what to expect in terms of weekly tasks and still get consistent and targeted feedback.  

• Including a timeline for course feedback in the syllabus and other course policies. For example, set the expectation that students will receive feedback on major assignments within one week. Then, use the voice recording feature in Canvas to record personalized feedback.

• Using a structured outline to give students feedback and building in space for reflecting on students’ past performance and individual growth. For example, for major assignments, instructors can use a consistent feedback outline that includes: 

  • What went well in the assignment

  • Areas for growth

  • Actionable, personalized steps for students to improve

  • Summary of student course progress

• Creating a course “questions and resources” open forum where students can post questions. Instructors should check and respond to questions several times a week, but an open forum also allows other students to respond. Instructors can encourage students to post in the forum by regularly posting helpful resources, videos, or other content that helps students see their instructor.

Another way to build instructor presence into an online course is by creating content tailored to specific course outcomes and module learning objectives. Taking the step to create content instead of relying on readings and videos others have made has several advantages, including

allowing instructors to: 

• Personalize content delivery

• Showcase enthusiasm

• Share personal experiences

• Address common misunderstandings

Callimaci and Fortin (2024) researched student engagement and found “that students exposed to instructor videos report higher levels of satisfaction and engagement compared to those in traditional instructional models” that are more focused on textbook readings. When it comes to creating videos that are engaging for students, instructors can further increase engagement by going beyond lecturing with a PowerPoint presentation to include virtual demonstrations and creative visuals, and by building in opportunities for feedback and conversation. 

Virtual engagement tools, including videos, offer more opportunities for feedback and application. Instructors can embed quizzes in their Panopto videos, ask students to respond to specific questions in a companion discussion, or use Google Docs or other collaborative tools to take collective notes on course content. Be sure to build accessibility into your virtual engagement tools, such as adding captions to videos and alt text to images. 

After a course is designed, instructors will demonstrate presence by engaging with and responding to students throughout the course. Instructors can increase their course engagement and responsiveness by prioritizing several goals, including:

Being accessible and approachable through clear communication policies and approachable and friendly language.  

Clearly communicating expectations. Instructors can model respectful communication and encourage open dialogue. This could start by communicating clearly when you are available and when students can expect feedback. 

Maintaining a consistent presence by posting regular announcements and participating in discussions and activities. Maintain a visible presence in discussion boards, but balance your input so that your responses serve as scaffolding and encouragement for student interaction, rather than the final word. 

Building trust through empathetic interactions. This can include understanding and addressing challenges students face and shifting gears when needed to support those challenges. Instructors can also demonstrate care through words of affirmation, encouragement, and validation. 

Demonstrating care by showing genuine interest in students’ success and by building in flexibility to personalize learning. Wisneski (2024) writes that instructors can show they care about student success when “student contributions are not just received, but rather [...] celebrated and recognized for the collaborative learning potential they provide” (25). Proactive outreach can also be a powerful tool to make sure students feel seen and cared for. 

Facilitating constructive dialogue by making feedback constructive, timely, and personalized. 

Increasing instructor presence can feel daunting or overwhelming because many instructors assume online presence means being available 24/7 to students. This is not the case, and on the contrary, it can model inconsistent communication for students when constant contact isn't possible. Instead, instructors should aim to be clear about their communication and feedback plans with students and stick to those timelines as much as possible. 

Research in online presence shows that consistency is more important than perfection when communicating with students (Kopus et al., 2021). So if feedback will be later than expected, or you know you will be unavailable during a usually available window, communicate that to students. Your consistent communication helps students see how respectful communication builds trust and openness. 

As discussed in the third section above, good course design includes a consistent course structure and predictable timelines. Good course design not only helps students feel more comfortable, but it can ease the need for instructors to be available 24/7. Creating feedback templates and videos ahead of time can save time and reduce the need for repetitive emails later. When instructors use a consistent, predictable course structure, it’s also easier to plan for when you need to set aside time for feedback or drafting content.

• Authement, RS., L. B. Beatty, and B. Yearty. 2025. "Instructor Presence: Improving Communication, Civility, and Student Success in Online Nursing Education." Sage Open Nursing 11.

• Callimaci, Antonello, and Anne Fortin. 2024. "The Impact of Teacher Video Presence on Student Performance and Satisfaction in Undergraduate Accounting Courses." Accounting Education 33 (6): 816–42.

• Glazier, Rebecca A., and Heidi Skurat Harris. 2021. "Instructor Presence and Student Satisfaction Across Modalities: Survey Data on Student Preferences in Online and On-Campus Courses." The International Review of Research in Open and Distributed Learning 22 (3): 77–98.

• Kopus, Tatiana Leonidovna, Elena Sergeevna Mikhalat, Ekaterina Yurievna Belozerova, and Olga Vladimirovna Meshcheryakova. 2021. "Instructor Presence in Online Teaching: Challenges and Opportunities." SHS Web of Conferences 127: 3002.

• Mandernach, B. Jean, Sarah Nicole Robertson, and John Paul Steele. 2018. "Beyond Content: The Value of Instructor-Student Connections in the Online Classroom." The Journal of Scholarship of Teaching and Learning 18 (4): 130.

• Wisneski, John E., Gamze Ozogul, and Barbara A. Bichelmeyer. 2024. "Does Teaching Presence Transfer Between MBA Teaching Environments? A Comparative Investigation of Instructional Design Practices Associated with Teaching Presence." The Internet and Higher Education 61: 100938.

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