Be Present
Presence + Community = Environment for Learning
Being present in a course is a two-way street. The instructor needs to show up, to be sure, but it's also important to create opportunities for the students to show up and be present, too.
Being present lays the groundwork for building relationships between the instructor and students and between the students themselves. These relationships, in turn, form the structure of a learning community where each student feels and knows that other people care about her and that her voice matters. There are a number of learning theories and frameworks that assert the importance of community and the support it affords, and one of the more prominent theories is Lev Vgotsky’s Social Development Theory. His "theories stress the fundamental role of social interaction in the development of cognition, [as Vgotsky] believed strongly that community plays a central role in the process of 'making meaning'" (Simply Psychology). From this, it's clear to see that being present is the first step to creating a community and having a community, in turn, fosters an environment for learning.
Where I was
Skeptical. Before I started teaching online, I was skeptical regarding how present the instructor and students can be in an online course. My early skepticism was confirmed by the comments of a few students who took online courses, courses on a platform other than Canvas, courses which were more like bulletin boards than college classes. I saw the trend growing for online courses and I dreaded what that entailed. However, I recognized that online platforms offered a way for students to create digital portfolios, something I knew would help to solve the issue of managing physical portfolios of essays, so as soon as Canvas became available, I started using it in my on-campus and hybrid courses for student portfolios. I didn't realize what a rich learning environment that Canvas provides, an environment in which both instructors and students can be present, until later.
Where I am
Convinced. Then I began to learn that there are several ways that we can be present in our online classes and, in fact, online learning provides ways of being present that promote equity in ways that aren't easily replicated in on-campus classes by making each student's voice heard. I completed a number of courses through the @ONE Online Network of Educators, especially Humanizing Online Learning, that stress the importance of being present for instructors and students. And I learned that being present doesn't have to be difficult; in fact, it's a lot easier than I initially thought. To foster presence, I use a variety of methods in the course, from announcements and discussions to video, peer and instructor feedback, collaboration, and student-created course content. But the @ONE courses aren't just for online teaching and learning. My courses also taught me how my on-campus students and I can also be more present, how I can build a stronger learning community by re-connecting with my on-campus students in Canvas and by providing more opportunities for them to collaborate online.
Where I'm headed
Excited. I'm learning more about creating immersive learning experiences online, experiences that draw upon students' interests, experiences, collaboration, and ingenuity to create learning artefacts that are meaningful and which contribute to local, national, and global discussions, and which help to prepare students for life after college.
To see a few examples, click the Examples link below.
