Research on co-presence and social interaction

Our interest in the concept of presence is particularly focused on the online environment. However. we are open to perspectives from different fields such as sociology, anthropology, and psychology, among others. In one of our presentations, a colleague mentioned the work of Erving Goffman. Goffman's work centers on social interactions and the meaning of co-presence in the face-to-face world.  His work explores the social organization of gathering and the presentation of self in everyday life. These concepts relate to our work on creating online presence. In the online environment, "being there" and "being together with others" is based on co-presence when individuals are interacting with each other.  We are only beginning to learn about Goffman's work and would like to explore more his concepts of co-presence and social interaction, and how they relate to the online environment. Our blog is open for anyone to chime in about this topic.

 

Goffman, E. (2021). The presentation of self in everyday life. Anchor.

Does teaching online benefit face-to-face teaching?

From our own experience and the experience of instructors who we have worked with, we have learned that the instructors often bring the online teaching skills back into the face-to-face classroom. Why does it happen? Because while designing online instruction, they had to think in detail about their own teaching strategies and techniques, philosophy, and relationship with the learners. They also realized how important it is to intentionally plan for interaction. In other words, instructors start thinking about face-to-face presence from a different perspective. 

Does presence mean being constantly online?

 

This is what people usually think. They feel that teaching online they need to be connected 24/7. This need not be the case. It all depends on how the instructor designs and manages the course. Many elements of the course can determine presence such as type and focus of the content, the course format (group-based, self-paced, or a mix), the interactive strategies, the instructor's role, the technology used, and the support (instructional and technical) provided for the learners. How you manage these course elements as part of your task as an instructor will affect how much time you spend online.

Role of Instructor’s Presence in an Online Course

 

What is the role of instructor's presence in an online course? 

Depending on how the course is designed, the role of the instructor may span from facilitator to catalyst, observer, mentor, or evaluator among others. These roles are dynamic and can be carried out as you see the need. For example, in the beginning of the course, you may take the role of a facilitator to assist students in processing their learning. While towards the end of the course, you may take the roles of observer and evaluator as participants become more independent and complete final course assignments.