Teaching Presence: Co-Creating a Multi-National Online Learning Community in an Asynchronous Classroom

Leanne Dzubinski

doi:10.24059/olj.v18i2.412

Abstract

The pace of globalization coupled with growing institutional pursuit of online education means that online classes are increasingly composed of a multi-national, multi-ethnic, and multi-cultural student body. Teaching presence, which is the ability to structure the class, create the social environment, give instruction, and assess student work, is the basis for creating a community of inquiry in an online class where successful learning can occur. However, little is known about effective teaching presence in a multinational classroom. The purpose of this study was to examine my own efforts to co-create a social context in an online classroom that was welcoming and supportive to an extremely diverse student population enrolled in a graduate research methods course. Findings show that building student confidence, affirming student voice, and the strategic use of groups help create a climate of safety. Effective instructor techniques include setting up the class, having ongoing public and private interaction with students, giving effective feedback, and recognizing and valuing cultural differences

Highlights

In my first semester at a small, private West-Coast university, I was assigned to teach an online introductory research course in a graduate program
The purpose of this study was to examine my own efforts to cocreate a social context in an online classroom that was welcoming and supportive to a diverse student population enrolled in a graduate research methods course
To answer the first question, what constitutes a social environment of safety in a multinational online course, findings suggest for some students an online class can offer a safe space to interact, and it may even have some advantages over a traditional face-to-face environment

Summary

Introduction

In my first semester at a small, private West-Coast university, I was assigned to teach an online introductory research course in a graduate program. A number of students were multicultural in origin and in experiences, having been born in one country, raised in another, while working as adults in yet another. A number of students married outside their original culture, and their ages ranged from 20s to 60s. They were a diverse group of students. I too am something of a multicultural person—though I was born and raised in the United States, I have lived and worked in Europe for almost 20 years. The purpose of this study was to examine my own efforts to cocreate a social context in an online classroom that was welcoming and supportive to a diverse student population enrolled in a graduate research methods course

Objectives

Results

Discussion

Conclusion