Asynchronous online environments in online and blended courses can offer learners and facilitators a number of unique opportunities, such as autonomy in terms of when to contribute to the learning environment, a chance to connect more deeply with more people, time to reflect and refine responses, equal participation among participants, some anonymity and distance from other participants, and shared authority between facilitators and participants. At the same time, there are a still numerous challenges in these environments, such as meeting participants’ round-the-clock expectations and solving technical difficulties. Thus, there is a tremendous need for specific, simple strategies that may maximize online interactions and meaningful learning outcomes. This presentation provides strategies and examples to help maximize online interactions and the overall learning experience using Whiteside’s Social Presence Model. This Model suggests that social presence in an online or blended learning environment consists of the following five overlapping elements: Affective Association, Community Cohesion, Interaction Intensity, Knowledge and Experience, and Instructor Investment. The examples in this presentation come from an online Human Rights Education course developed through a partnership between the University of Minnesota’s Department of Organizational Leadership, Policy, and Development (OLPD) and the Human Rights Center. This course was designed for practitioners in K-12 education and community-based organizations who wish to learn about human rights, Human Rights Education, and how to become advocates for human rights in their professions. In practice, the course appeals to a wide audience of students, including K-12 and higher education professionals, nurse educators, community practitioners, and undergraduate and graduate students from a variety of disciplines. Strategy One: Affective Association by Assuming the Social Negotiator Role Online learning experts, Conrad and Donaldson, introduced the Phases of Engagement in their 2004 work entitled Engaging the Online Learner. The first phase of their Phases of Engagement framework introduced as the learner’s role as a Newcomer in the learning community and the facilitator’s role as that of the Social Negotiator. This presentation introduces some of Conrad and Donaldson’s activities, and it stresses the importance of taking the time to develop critical social relationships and connections rather than jumping right into the course content. This presentation also shows an introductory scavenger hunt developed in the Human Rights Education course that helps students connect to each other as well as learn how to use the Moodle Learning Management System (LMS). Strategy Two: Interaction Intensity with Extended Introductory Profiles To help alleviate any feelings of isolation that an online learner may feel, a second strategy involves online facilitators assigning an extended introductory profile. These profiles are more than a quick two-minute, one-sentence introduction. Instead, they are a deep, rich profile that is several paragraphs long. The rationale behind extended introductory profiles is that they allow learners to gain a better sense of each other from which they can interact more with each other in the discussion forums. To help new online learners get started, the facilitators should provide a rich model for their participants. In the presentation, we will provide a detailed example from one of the instructors of the Human Rights Education course. Strategy Three: Community Cohesion through Cultural Awareness Both Tu (2001) and Yildiz (2009) found in their social presence research that cultural differences definitely impact the online learning situation. Therefore, participants should be made aware of these nuances at the very beginning of their course experience in the form of a “netiquette” to “avoid misunderstandings and unnecessary conflicts” (Yildiz, 2009, p. 63). Yildiz suggests that student learn about “possible implications of delayed responses” and that they should be “warned about the potential misunderstandings caused by the absence of social context cues” (p. 63). Online facilitators should consider developing icebreaker activities that allow students to learn more about cultural differences and potential misunderstandings before addressing the course content. In the presentation, we will provide an example from early in the Human Rights Education course. Strategy Four: Knowledge and Experience through the K-W-L Activity One challenge that often arises in online learning is identifying the range of knowledge and experience of your participants and being able to meet the needs of your audience. One strategy that has been used successfully in the Human Rights Education course is requiring students to post a series of responses gauged to identify their background knowledge in the content and the reasons why they have chosen the course. This presentation explains the unique K-W-L activity that helps students determine what they know (K) and what want they want to know in the beginning of the course (W) and then they consider what they actually learned (L) near the end of the course. Strategy Five: Instructor Investment with Early and Iterative Feedback Another challenge that online instructors face is providing feedback on student progress and their course activities and discussion posts early-on in the term to help them understand the course and instructor expectations as soon as possible. In this presentation, we will explain some changes the Human Rights Education instructors employed to achieve a balance of instructor investment and peer interaction to better meet students’ needs for early and iterative feedback. Strategy Six: Instructor Investment though Individual Email Check-ins with Participants Although students can have great autonomy in an online course, which allows them to more easily juggle personal, academic, and professional responsibilities, this freedom they can lead to unexplained gaps in participation. When this happens, we suggest that the instructor check-in with the students via email, something that is rarely done in a face-to-face class. By using the Social Presence Model and these simple strategies, we suggest that academics, practitioners, students/participants, and other professionals can make more effective decisions related to maximize online interactions and the overall learning experience.
This presentation was selected Best-in-Track for the Learning Effectiveness track.
