Instructor Presence and Effective Online Instruction

Mind Map of Effective Online Instruction Practices

A critical element in learner engagement and success in online educational environments is the establishment and maintenance of instructor presence. Similar to virtual workplace environments, online classrooms require intentional strategies to ensure learners feel connected to the instructor and peer community. Technology plays a fundamental role in enabling instructors to create, navigate, and sustain presence. Technology use must be purposeful and aligned with pedagogical goals rather than simply adding digital complexity.

Learning Management Systems (LMS) such as Canvas provide a central location for announcements, discussion boards, and feedback. Richardson et al. (2017) assert that technology tools enable instructors to maintain communication and visibility with learners, which is crucial for sustaining social presence. Transactional distance can be minimized via multimedia tools, including video introductions, recaps, and podcasts that make the instructor more available (Martin et al., 2018).  Technologies such as Zoom can also enable synchronous and asynchronous engagement, supporting the instructor’s role as a facilitator and guide. Digital rubrics, annotation tools, and audio/video feedback can make instructor responses more personal. Borup et al. (2014) highlight that these actions not only support clarity but also demonstrate care and attention to learner progress. Collectively, these tools help instructors demonstrate teaching presence, which has been identified as a core element of the Community of Inquiry (CoI) (Garrison et al., 2000).

Instructors must also address intentional design elements. Online courses must provide multiple modes of representation, engagement, and expression to ensure equitable access for diverse learners (CAST, 2018). Such elements include video captions, transcripts, and screen-reader compatibility. Mindfulness of diverse learner backgrounds requires inclusion of examples and activities that respect and validate multiple perspectives (Gay, 2018). Online environments can be overwhelming for learners when instructors create courses that are poorly structured or have excessive multimedia. Instructors should chunk and scaffold content to manage cognitive load (Sweller et al., 2019). As highlighted in the mind map, clearly structured modules, predictable schedules, and transparent expectations reduce ambiguity and develop trust. Instructors should maintain a visible cadence of communication, such as weekly announcements or video check-ins.

From experience, there are several key insights instructors should understand for the creation of online presence. Firstly, presence is multifaceted insofar as it involves cognitive, social, and teaching dimensions (Garrison et al., 2000), which need to be balanced through intentional design and communication. Personalized and timely feedback is one of the strongest indicators of instructor presence, and leveraging multimedia feedback tools can enhance connections with students (Borup et al., 2014). It is essential to use Universal Design for Learning (UDL) principles to ensure learner accessibility and engagement. In addition, there is a critical need to build community by providing structured opportunities for peer interaction, such as discussion forums and collaborative activities, that reinforce social presence and reduce isolation.

While technology tools provide supportive ways for instructors to establish and maintain presence in online courses, their effectiveness depends on thoughtful integration with pedagogical principles. Accessibility, cultural responsiveness, and cognitive load management are critical considerations when designing equitable and effective online learning experiences. Moving forward, I will apply these insights to my Course Project by embedding UDL principles, leveraging multimedia for presence, and fostering community through collaborative activities. These strategies will not only enhance instructor presence but also create a more inclusive and engaging learning environment for adult learners.

References

Borup, J., West, R. E., & Graham, C. R. (2014). The influence of asynchronous video communication on learner social presence: A study of two hybrid university courses. Educational Technology Research and Development, 62(2), 161–177. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11423-013-9301-6

CAST. (2018). Universal Design for Learning guidelines version 2.2. http://udlguidelines.cast.org

Garrison, D. R., Anderson, T., & Archer, W. (2000). Critical inquiry in a text-based environment: Computer conferencing in higher education. The Internet and Higher Education, 2(2–3), 87–105. https://doi.org/10.1016/S1096-7516(00)00016-6

Gay, G. (2018). Culturally responsive teaching: Theory, research, and practice (3rd ed.). Teachers College Press.

Martin, F., Wang, C., & Sadaf, A. (2018). Student perception of helpfulness of facilitation strategies that enhance instructor presence, connectedness, engagement and learning in online courses. The Internet and Higher Education, 37, 52–65. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.iheduc.2018.01.003

Richardson, J. C., Maeda, Y., & Swan, K. (2017). Social presence in relation to students’ satisfaction and learning in the online environment: A meta-analysis. Computers in Human Behavior, 71, 402–417. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chb.2017.02.001

Sweller, J., Ayres, P., & Kalyuga, S. (2019). Cognitive load theory. Springer.