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Home » Resources » Scholarship on Teaching » Creating a Sense of Presence in Online Teaching: How to "Be There" for Distance Learners
Scholarship July 3, 2025

Creating a Sense of Presence in Online Teaching: How to “Be There” for Distance Learners

The Wabash Center

Author
Lehman, Rosemary M., and Conceicao, Simone C. O.
Publisher
Jossey-Bass, San Francisco, CA
ISBN
9780470564905
Table of Contents
List of Figures, Exhibits, and Tables
Preface
About the Authors

ch. 1 The Role of Presence in the Online Environment
Why Is It Important to Understand Presence?
Creating a Sense of Presence
What We Know About Presence
Presence as the Result of Our Perceptual Process
Understanding Presence
Summary

ch. 2 Ways in Which Presence Can Be Experienced
Types of Experience
Modes of Presence
Dimensions of the Learner
The Being There for the Online Learner Model
Summary

ch. 3 Designing Your Online Course with a Sense of Presence
Determinants of Presence
Framework for Designing Online Courses with a Sense of Presence
Getting Yourself "There" for Your Online Course
Getting Your Learners “There” for Your Online Course
Summary

ch. 4 Activities That Create a Sense of Presence in Your Online Course
Before the Course Begins
During the Online Course
End of the Course
How to Know If Presence Is “There” in Your Online Course
Summary

ch. 5 Are You Here or There? Making Sense of Presence
Case 1. Getting to Know You and Your Course
Case 2. Second Life Participation and Blogging
Case 3. Creating a Web-Based Training Course as a Team
Creating a Syllabus with a Sense of Presence
Final Thoughts and Future Directions

Appendix 1: Training Resources
Appendix 2: Online Course Design Resources
Appendix 3: Sample Syllabus
Definitions of Terms
References
Index
How can faculty create a strong e presence for their online classes? This volume highlights the need for creating a presence in the online environment. The authors explore the emotional, psychological, and social aspects from both the instructor and student perspective. It provides an instructional design framework and shows how a strong presence contributes to effective teaching and learning. Filled with illustrative examples and based on research and experience, the book contains methods, case scenarios, and activities for creating, maintaining, and evaluating presence throughout the cycle of an online course. (From the Publisher)