1. How learners and teachers connect online
Benjamin Kehrwald
Vice Chancellor’s Symposium 2010

2. Underpinnings
Teachers are human beings Learners are human beings The relations between them affects the process of learning
Openness may be officially encouraged and rhetorically praised,
the reality is that universities compete for students, and that collaboration in this context seems to produce losers as well as winner (see also Cardini, 2006). This situation is unlikely to change any time soon, given the continuing marketization of higher education provision as part of a broader neoliberal agenda by governments, certainly in Western countries (Danaher, Gale, & Erben, 2000). Furthermore, and as a consequence of that agenda, the social construction of knowledge and the status of learners as autonomous agents sit uneasily beside the entrenched privileging of individualized assessment of students’ learning and practices such as the increased use of plagiarism detection software.

3. The problem
The technologies which mediate online learning introduce social and psychological barriers to human-human interaction Despite this, experienced online learners and teachers cite the ability of those technologies to create opportunities for rich, engaging, productive interaction. As a teacher, how can you connect to your online students?

4. Connecting to learners
Cultivate an online social presence Be seen to ‘be’ available for connection
Promote social activity Engage learners (and yourself) in activity which creates opportunity for connection
Create connections and work to maintain them Be available, be willing and do your bit as part of the connection.

5. 1. Cultivate an online social presence
Online social presence is the ability of an individual to
Demonstrate his/her state of being in a virtual environment (I’m here…)
Project her/himself into a social situation as a salient social actor, i.e., as a ‘real person’ (… and I’m somebody you can interact with)
…and thereby signal his/her willingness and availability for interpersonal interaction

6. 1. Cultivate an online social presence
Demonstrate your presence:
Make visible demonstrations of ‘being’ in the environment: post messages, respond to others, be seen online

8. 1. Cultivate an online social presence
Demonstrate your ‘realness’:
Develop a ‘voice’ in your online communication- consider the style and tone of your messages
Use humour and express emotion
Disclose relevant information, e.g. personal history
Express preferences, attitudes, beliefs and values

11. 2. Promote social activity
Communicate (and learn to manage communication)
One-to-one, One-to-some, One-to-many
Be explicit about expectations
Participate and model activity
‘Moderate’ when necessary
Create spaces for (and require) demonstrations of presence
Promote an inclusive, welcoming social climate with the course

12. 2. Promote social activity
Structure interaction
Develop tasks in which interaction is not only ‘nice’, but also ‘necessary’
Identify explicit purposes
Included intended processes
Explicit roles can be useful
Help students identify communicative partners (e.g. groups)
Consider time (sychronnous vs. asynchronous activity)
Praise & reward desirable social activity
Get amongst it!

15. 3. Build connections Build individual (personal) connections
Address every message to an intended audience
Use personal communication strategically
Communicate personally with *every* student early in the course
Situate communications against an emerging course ‘history’; create context for personal communication
Promote connection between others
Structure communication (as above)
Promote interdependence via task design
Foster a sense of belonging

16. 3. Build connections (and maintain them)
Maintain the relations between you and learners
Be visible online regularly
Establish patterns of activity
Contact individuals and personalise feedback at key milestones
Deal with all general issues publicly
Deal with sensitive issues privately
Invite feedback, foster give and take

17. Thank you Questions?