In an online course, instructor presence is an important best practice.  “Being there” is a crucial step in managing the course flow and effectively satisfying students’ needs.

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Faculty Engagement includes these 3 categories:

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Social presence:  This establishes trust between instructor and class.  Set the tone for discussion and feedback by being consistently a part of them.  Instructor social presence will keep communication and collaboration open and substantive.

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Cognitive presence:  This is where the instructor and students construct and confirm meaning to the course content.  Ask what students know and what they wish to know from the subject.  Remind students of the learning goals throughout the course.

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Teaching presence:  This is where your course development and understanding of the phases of online learning is important.  Teaching presence includes setting up clarity of course expectations with prepared and updated course material.  It also includes how you monitor and mentor the class.