Icebreakers for Creating a Sense of Presence - Virtual License Plate

 

A useful strategy to encourage relationships among course participants in an online course is to use icebreakers. Three examples of online ice-breakers are the Virtual License Plate, Where in the World Are You?, and What Do You Like?. These icebreakers give learners an opportunity to creatively share personal information with the other course members. This week, we will explain the Virtual License Plate.

A license plate template is posted in the LMS for learners to download (can be done in a PowerPoint format). The instructor asks learners to draw numbers, letters, short phrases, pictures, or symbols in a creative way inside it to design a virtual license plate. The plate’s purpose is to tell something about themselves, their families, their pets, their work, their hobbies, or their other interests.

 

Reference

 

Lehman, R. M., & Conceição, S. C. (2010). Creating a Sense of Presence in Online Teaching: How to “Be There” for Distance Learners. Jossey-Bass. 

Ways to Incorporate a Sense of Presence

 

The table above illustrates ways in which you can incorporate a sense of presence into your online course. By identifying the types of activity, interaction, and presence, you can determine where presence can be integrated throughout the teaching process (before, during, and end of course). This table is not all-inclusive. Types of interactions or presence may vary depending on the discipline. The intention here is to stimulate your thinking on the types of interaction and presence you may include in your online course.

 

 

Reference

 

Lehman, R. M., & Conceição, S. C. (2010). Creating a Sense of Presence in Online Teaching: How to “Be There” for Distance Learners. Jossey-Bass. 

Getting Ready to “Be There” with Learners

 

 

As an instructor new to online teaching, your first step is to understand the differences between face-to-face and online instruction. Instructional and technical support are key to your success in this new environment, as is the support of your organization. Developing an online course can be a challenge.Training is key to be better prepared to teach online and understand what presence means in the online environment, be able to create and incorporate presence into your online course, and be ready to deliver your course.

This training includes becoming familiar with the learning management system, its features, and its limitations. You can take scheduled training sessions or workshops or work closely with a learning designer who has learning management system expertise. Or you might team up with experienced colleagues who have created online courses that have proven to be effective.

After you have become familiar with and confident about the learning management system software, the next step is to identify an existing course that you plan to move to the online environment and start the design process. Check the graphic below; it provides a sample course design task and timeline for an existing course that is moving to the online environment.

Reference

 

Lehman, R. M., & Conceição, S. C. (2010). Creating a Sense of Presence in Online Teaching: How to “Be There” for Distance Learners. Jossey-Bass. 

 

 

7 Steps to Creating Presence in Online Courses - Bringing it All Together

 

The 7 Steps to Creating Presence in Online Courses can help you develop an online course experience where presence is felt by both instructors and learners - Bringing it All Together.

Our instructor "brings it all together" with the Chart and a Wordle. Wordles are "word clouds" that bring together the most important words in a text and are a quick way to refresh your memory. Here is our instructor's Wordle. 

 

Reference

Lehman, R. M., & Conceição, S. C. (2010). Creating a Sense of Presence in Online Teaching: How to “Be There” for Distance Learners. Jossey-Bass. 

7 Steps to Creating Presence in Online Courses - Assessing for Presence and Community

Online teaching and learning should be an experience where presence is felt by both instructors and learners - Assessing for Presence and Community.

During the past weeks we've walked through the 7 Steps and Four Phases for developing online courses with Presence and Community. But - how do you know that presence and community are there once your course is finished? Well, you’ll certainly feel and know it qualitatively, but you need more than that - you need tools and methods for assessing quantitatively. We share a Chart of Tools and Methods our instructor used to help with this assessment. 

Next and Final Week - Bringing it All Together and a Wordle.

 

Reference

Lehman, R. M., & Conceição, S. C. (2010). Creating a Sense of Presence in Online Teaching: How to “Be There” for Distance Learners. Jossey-Bass.