This week’s study has thrown up a few questions for me: Where does the real presence of teachers and students come from in an online learning environment? In what capacity are we learning in the virtual space?
In Bonnie Stewart’s podcast “Networked Pedagogy”, she shares the illuminating idea that teaching and learning in digital environments is not a linear process, but a network of relationships, interactions, and social links. She argues that rather than strictly controlling the content of the course, the teacher’s role is to create a sense of connection that resonates between people, making learning a meaningful experience of being together.
Barnes’ article deepens my understanding of “teacher presence” in another way. She points out that in online teaching, whether a teacher is truly “present” is not just a matter of whether you’re online or responding to posts, but whether you communicate a combination of social presence, cognitive support, and emotional expression through your words, responses, and guidance. In other words, do teachers really make students feel like they have someone on their backs, rather than just a systematic prompt?
Finally, Weller’s article opened my mind further. He suggests that in an age of information overload and ubiquitous social platforms, learning has long since moved beyond the processing of information by an individual’s brain. It is more like a process of traveling through a network, constantly connecting and co-constructing knowledge. Learning occurs between us and others, between us and our tools, between us and our environment, rather than in a separate textbook chapter.
These pieces of content made me realize that learning is never actually a one-person affair. Whether it’s face-to-face or online, learning always happens in the context of human interaction or human interaction with the environment. In an online environment, our identities are fluid. Sometimes as students, sometimes as discussants and collaborators. This fluid identity allows us to express ourselves more freely, but it also makes us start thinking about how we can participate in learning in different spaces
I also wondered if a “learning space” is not a specific classroom or a link to a webpage. What makes a space feel like it belongs to you is that there are people there who respond to you, understand you, and support you. It is only when interaction and communication really happen that the space becomes a place, not just an empty platform.
These reflections also made me look again at my role in teaching. Am I an activity facilitator, or am I someone who can slowly construct spaces and relationships with students? I think that in the future, I will not only design tasks, but also find ways to let students have a sense of belonging, a space to speak, and a way to connect with each other.
Leave a Reply