Instructor Presence
Knowledge Center
Instructor Presence
All of the tips and suggestions in this part of the module are aimed at increasing and maintaining your Instructor Presence. Instructor presence in a remote environment can happen in many ways:
- Visuals
- By adding an image of yourself, a video introduction, or using video for feedback within your WorldClassRoom Course
- Welcoming environment
- Via an introductory email and/or video, adding your personal bio,
- Offering regular, yet flexible "office hours"
- Feedback
- Providing targeted feedback in a variety of ways - to individuals and/or the entire class, via discussion participation, Speedgrader comments, or announcements
- Sharing
- Your experiences, resources, and time as their personal expert in the field
Using these methods will serve to increase student satisfaction and engagement while helping to reduce the feeling of isolation and possibly even attrition.
If you're teaching in the "Remote" or "WebNet+" format, you'll be meeting remotely with your students in real-time, which will enhance your students' sense of your "presence." Comments from a survey of Webster students in spring 2020 revealed that students highly valued these live sessions for a myriad of reasons: they enjoyed seeing their instructors, they enjoyed interacting with peers, and they liked getting immediate answers to their most pressing questions.
Regardless of the format/modality you're teaching in, know that you as the instructor are the most valued part of the course experience for your students. So anything you can do to enhance your connection to your students, both in real time and asynchronously, will help your students have a better experience.