Establishing facilitator presence
Description
Facilitator presence is a contributing factor in how the relationships in your online course or activity develop. Of the three types of presence outlined in the Community of Inquiry framework (teaching presence, social presence, cognitive presence), teaching presence is the one that facilitators in online language learning have the most direct control over.
A facilitator’s presence (included in the concept of teaching presence) in the online space can lay the foundation for interaction and for community to develop later in the course. Specific actions designed to establish your facilitator presence will provide your language learners with visible examples for engaging in the course or activity. This initial engagement is very valuable for learners because presence in online learning requires some action on the part of the learner, unlike face-to-face classrooms where learners are physically present by default.
This resource is a description of ways you can establish your facilitator presence early in an activity or course. It includes information about facilitator presence and why it is important for online language learning.