Manipulating Teacher Presence In Online Learning

Manipulating Teacher Presence in Online Learning: The Impact on Learning Effectiveness
Abstract
This study investigated online students’ perceptions of what constitutes teacher presence in online courses. Students were asked to identify teacher behaviors that indicate teacher involvement and engagement in an online course. Additional data will be presented further investigating the impact of differing levels of teacher presence on student outcome variables.
ObjectivesSession participants will be informed of current research on the communities of inquiry model, teacher presence and student variables related to learning effectiveness in online courses. Participants will engage in discussion regarding research findings in terms of their own experiences designing and teaching online courses.
DescriptionThe Community of Inquiry model (CoI, Garrison, Anderson, & Archer, 2000) outlines three elements essential to an educational experience: Cognitive, Social and Teaching Presence. Previous pilot data indicated a need to further investigate student’s perceptions on what constitutes teacher presence (Sheridan, & Curda, 2008). The CoI framework was the basis for an investigation of students’ perceptions of teacher presence and the impact that varying levels of teacher presence have on measures of social and cognitive presence, student satisfaction, perceived learning, and achievement in online courses. Teacher presence was manipulated in terms of instructor engagement in online discussions and individual feedback to students. The following research questions were the focus of this study:

• How do online students define and articulate teacher presence in online courses?

• How do measures of community differ when teacher presence is manipulated?

• How are measures of community related to initial course expectations, student satisfaction, perceived learning and achievement?

Participants were students in online undergraduate and graduate courses in early childhood education at a national college of education. Participants were asked to rank in order of importance, teacher behaviors that indicate instructor engagement and presence in an online course. All courses were 10 weeks in length and consisted of 5 weeks of high teacher presence and 5 weeks of moderate teacher presence. Half of the courses received 5 weeks of high teacher presence and then 5 weeks moderate; in the other half, the treatments were reversed. Measures of CoI were administered at the 5- and 10-week mark. Measures of student satisfaction, perceived learning, and achievement were collected at the end of the term. The results of this study can inform online instructors of practices that impact students’ perceptions of instructor presence and engagement, as well as student success.