32 Teaching Presence Components (CoI)

The design and organization begin in the planning stages, where the teacher begins thinking through the course structure on the learning management system, the process, interactions, and the evaluation of the course.  The first day of an online class sets the stage for learning and creates first impressions of the faculty teaching the course. If the content is not easily accessible, organized, and complete, teaching presence may be diminished.

• Setting Curriculum- Define the course outcomes and objectives. Use the outcomes and objectives to keep you on task when designing the course.  Start with the NEED to know the content, then supplement with the NICE to know, and if there is time/space, add the FUN to know.
• Design Methods-Select a design method (Backward Design, ADDIE, etc.) and decide on your course topics. When designing, select appropriate course content (reading materials, lectures, video lectures, videos, websites, open educational resources, etc.). Develop assignments/assessments and activities that align with the course goals/competencies, etc. Steer clear of “Busy work”! Time parameters-Establish time parameters (weekly schedule, due dates, etc.)
• Utilizing LMS –Deliver your content in a clear, concise, and organized manner on the LMS. Be proficient in your LMS so you can help students be successful users as well.  Use the LMS tool to support your teacher presence. Send out a weekly announcement and consider creating a short weekly Webcam video to develop connections with your students.
• Use Canvas’s built-in feedback tools to share feedback. Canvas quizzes offer options to add question feedback (individual answers or questions). This allows all students to receive feedback with minimal effort on your part! Assignments and discussion boards in Canvas support interactive grading with rubrics. Add your rubric, select the criteria the students met, and you have instant feedback with minimal effort.
• Create discussion board questions and opportunities for students to engage with each other and with you.

Communication in the online course differs from that in face-to-face classes and is related to student learning outcomes and satisfaction. The teacher must maintain engagement in and focus on the online discussion board by helping students understand the course content by identifying areas of agreement or disagreement, encouraging student contributions, and assessing the effectiveness of the discussion board discourse. The discussion board replaces the in-class discussion. Online discussions need to be guided just like you do during in-class discussions.

• Identify areas of agreement/disagreement- Help students by calling attention to areas of agreement/disagreement in the discussion board.
  • Examples: “Tim, would you care to respond to Joe’s post that has a compelling argument to your example?” or “Anna, it looks like your thoughts on the subject align with most of the class.”
• Seek to reach an understanding/consensus-Help students seek consensus/understanding in the discussion board.
  • Examples: “It looks like Anna, Tim, and Debra are all saying the same thing” or “I noticed that we are all in agreement and understand the purpose of the hypothesis.” 
• Encourage, acknowledge, or reinforce – Encourage your students to share by recognizing, encouraging, or reinforcing students’ contributions on the discussion board.
  • Examples: “Thank you for sharing your experience with us” or  “Does anyone have an example of XYZ in the workplace?”
• Set climate- Set the environment for learning and peer engagement on the discussion board.
  • Examples: “This is a place to get feedback from your peers” or “We are all learning together, so don’t be afraid to ask questions.”
• Prompt discussion by drawing in participants.
  • Examples: “Any thoughts on this matter?” or  “John, would you care to comment?”
• Assess the discussion’s efficacy and direct it if it veers off-topic or needs more depth.
  • Example: “Let’s backtrack a bit since we are getting a bit off-topic” or ” We are just skimming the surface on this topic, is there more information you can share with us?”

Direct instruction consists of sharing intellectual information, knowledge, skills, and resources, interjecting comments into discussions, organizing activities, and allowing the students to construct knowledge using personal context. The instructor uses meaningful feedback throughout the learning experience and their expertise, knowledge, and skills.

• Present content/questions – Present the learning materials and answer questions that help students be successful in your course and discussion board.
• Assessment and feedback- Create assessments that assess the learning goals/competencies, etc., and give the students feedback. In the online course, the student gauges their progress based on grades (timeliness) and feedback from you.
• Diagnose misconceptions- Be prepared to diagnose misconceptions in the discussion board, through email, by creating just-in-time videos using assessment data.  Inject knowledge- Include pointers to information beneficial to the student in the class content and on the discussion board. Remember, you are the expert, and students WANT to hear from you!