Teaching presence

Teaching presence is the degree to which a teacher or instructor is present within an educational activity and is performing instructional tasks and classroom orchestration. Teaching presence is one of the three forms of presence that are suggested for online and distance learning by the Community of Inquiry (CoI) design framework.

Definition

In the Community of Inquiry (CoI) design framework, teaching presence is how present or available a teacher or instructor is with participants, particularly in online and distance learning settings. When they are present in a learning experience, teachers provide instruction to participants, support, differentiation, and planning or orchestration actions. According to the CoI framework, these teaching actions all provide essential guidance and information to students for them to succeed in the learning experience.

Teaching presence is balanced by an individual learner's cognitive presence and the social presence of the group of participants that are interacting within the learning experience.

Additional Information

Teaching presence is the degree to which a teacher, instructor, or facilitator is present in a learning experience alongside participants, particularly in online and distance learning settings. In an online context, teaching presence is similar to the idea of a teacher being physically present in the room with the participants. Teaching presence considers the degree to which a facilitator, expert, or teacher is present and actively conducting instructional tasks within an learning experience.

When performing learning activities, participants may take comfort in knowing that a teacher or expert is available to assist them should they need it. Participants also benefit from a facilitator who plans and carries out the educational activities that will be done so that time will be spent efficiently and that the learner can be confident that they will learn from the experience. Teaching presence assures participants that the activity is well structured and that the teacher is available for help, clarification, or support at the right time.

Teaching presence is related to the social presence of the overall group of participants and cognitive presence of the individual in creating a learning environment that facilitates strong social interactions and deeper understanding of skills and concepts. Each of these three types of presence represents how people are present and attentive to the educational exercises, as well as how committed they are to "being there" and participating in the experience.

Although it is not required in all learning contexts, some degree of instruction and teaching presence is useful for students to know that there is someone there to help them learn, guide them, and participate with them in the educational experience.

Teaching presence is less evident in solo or self-directed learning situations. However, in solo learning situations, some instructional functions (and thus, teaching presence) may still be accomplished by technology or media that is being used by the participant by themselves.

Common aspects of teaching presence

A teacher can show that they are "there" and present in a learning environment by taking specific actions to demonstrate their presence and support the participants' learning. This is particularly important in online learning environments where it is not possible to be physically present in the same space, and thus must show presence in another way:

• Communications, updates, and announcements to participants
• Responsiveness to the actions, needs, and communications from participants
• Performing instructional tasks, such as directing learners in the activities and providing information on concepts being learned
• Planning, organizing, and classroom orchestration tasks
• Support, providing help, and scaffolding when needed
• Demonstration and tutorial of how to do activities or skills

Tips and Tricks

• In any learning context or setting, it is important to consider what the role of a teacher or facilitator may be. This includes how a teacher is present within a learning environment. In a face-to-face setting, a teacher may be in the same physical room as learners, thereby increasing their perceived presence by just being there. However, in online settings, it can be more challenging to demonstrate to participants that an instructor is present and available within the learning context. Consider how you might demonstrate to participants how a teacher is present in online settings to increase their comfort and confidence in the learning experience.
• Consider how you might increase teaching presence within your design by having instructors, teachers, or facilitators demonstrate that they are there and ready to help. Consult the common aspects of teaching presence list above for general ideas on ways to show participants that the teacher is present and available, as well as actively working to support their learning.
• Not everything can be on autopilot in an online learning experience! Some degree of instruction and teaching presence is likely required to help keep participants motivated, on track, and benefiting from the educational product. To help with this, consider some ways that you can have software perform teaching presence actions, instructional tasks, or help a participant move forward with their progress.

Related Concepts

• Community of inquiry framework (COI)
• Social presence
• Cognitive presence
• Instruction

Examples

None yet - check back soon!

External Resources

None yet - check back soon!