social presence

An ungraded, anonymous mid-semester survey offers students a chance to voice concerns and ask questions about a course and its administration. Surveys of this type can be setup easily in Canvas. Compiled results can fuel a follow-up conversation and/or announcement where the instructor can address student feedback by answering questions and alleviating issues or making plans to do so.

Do you ever notice that a large percentage of students are having a hard time grasping a concept or following procedures properly? It might be time to send out a quick survey to figure out what’s going on. Soliciting student feedback to gain an understanding of where students are coming from can help you hone your teaching to make the maximum impact.

Just ask! Sometimes you must ask the right question to get the conversation started. An example of a great prompt for student feedback is to ask students to share “The one thing I wish I had known before I took this course is...” Replies to this prompt are exactly the kind of information that can help you address misunderstandings or clear up poor instructions or explanations.

A presentation recorded in the studio produces a polished resource that can be used to share knowledge and content and provide an opportunity for students to review the material as often as needed to ensure comprehension. Professor Todd Palmer has recorded all his lectures for a course on Materials Science. Viewers can see the presentation and the instructor along with the laser pointer motion directing student attention.

Video-based asynchronous discussions are an excellent alternative, or addition to, text-based discussions. Video-based asynchronous discussions utilize an app to create a group discussion or sharing opportunity where students record short videos of themselves and respond to their peers' posts via video. Video discussions are very effective at creating social and teaching presence and increased collaboration.

A great way to begin with an inclusive tone and show your commitment to helping students succeed is to gather anonymous information from your students so that you have a good idea of who is in your classroom. This sort of voluntary activity can help students disclose their equity challenges, perspectives, and other factors they’ll bring to class, like emotions and mindsets.

Communicate respect for your students by learning the correct pronunciations and preferred versions of their names and by allowing space for pronoun sharing. Avoid mispronouncing student names in class, which usually results in discomfort for everyone involved. This is especially important because research has shown that students who are uncomfortable are less likely to perform well.