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Throughout my education, I have had numerous opportunities to engage in online courses. I was more compelled to take online courses because of how convenient it was to be in the comfort of my own home while still getting credits. However, I also noticed that I was quick to drop online courses within the first two weeks because of how distant it felt. Furthermore, I have had many experiences where professors in online courses seemed to brush off the importance of teaching and social presence, especially in asynchronous courses; which is strange because you’d think they would do the opposite to make up for the lack of face-to-face interactions.

Even in face-to-face classes, I found myself getting frustrated when professors were physically present but would not communicate with students, such as providing feedback on assignments leading up to the course’s final project. I just felt like I wasn’t getting the most out of the class because, even though the professor was knowledgeable, they barely put any emphasis on teaching processes which affected their ability to teach effectively.

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Barnes’ (2016) work resonated with me the most in this week’s readings because I could personally relate to the topics and issues discussed. I liked how she mentioned that “deep knowledge of subject matter is only one piece of being a quality instructor” and that content and process are both equally formidable in complexity. I definitely felt that a lot of my professors were knowledgeable but were not very great at teaching. I’ll admit that I’ve been guilty of this myself. In the past, I’ve been asked to tutor younger friends, but I often struggled to teach them effectively because I couldn’t fully understand their perspective or pinpoint exactly where their confusion stemmed from. It made me realize that the teaching process is important (I might even say MORE important) than having knowledge of a certain concept.

Teaching presence, as defined in Barnes’ work, is defined as “the ability to structure the class, create the social environment, give instruction, and assess student work… the basis for creating a community of inquiry in an online class where successful learning can occur” (2016).  It’s easier to have teaching presence in face-to-face classrooms, but it’s what brings life to online courses. It clarifies expectations and ensures that students feel supported, and when done well, teaching presence bridges the gap between content and learner. I really appreciate teachers that are successful at establishing teaching presence.

Barnes’ work also mentions social presence, and I agree that successfully established social presence in online courses makes me feel more connected and engaged (2016). When instructors and classmates actively participate, it helps humanize the online learning environment. For me, this kind of atmosphere makes the course more enjoyable and fosters intrinsic motivation since it makes me feel more invested in the material. Feeling like I’m part of a learning community instead of just as a student in a course has definitely made my learning experience more enjoyable and meaningful.

Reference

Barnes, C.L. (2016). “Where’s the Teacher? Defining the Role of Instructor Presence in Social Presence and Cognition in Online Education.” Humanizing Online Teaching and Learning. https://humanmooc.pressbooks.com/chapter/wheres-the-teacher-defining-the-role-of-instructor-presence-in-social-presence-and-cognition-in-online-education/