I'm not a fan of the phrase, "projecting your presence." But I am a fan of the strategy and psychology of earning the respect of your online students with consistent communication and reading their bios so you know your students. In my forthcoming book, 10 Golden Nuggets, chapter 1 is the admonition to "know your students." I think it is sometimes an underestimated part of adult education in general but certainly in an online environment. I project my presence by knowing: my stuff, my students and my shortfalls (whereupon I ask for help from students). After asking my very first class in adult ed some 15 years ago, I asked the class if they minded my personal examples and stories and they told me they actually loved them because it made me seem more "human" and "relateable". Even in an online environment, it is important to earn the presence and the phrase used seems too condescending to adult learners.

I appreciate the online environment because I have students who would prefer, especially in basic "information dissemination" courses like a how to succeed in college course, to do it online but even in those, establishing a relationship with the school, faculty and classmates is crucial. Can the online environment ever match that level of rapport or can that only happen if we use programs like Skype (and then it becomes more on the ground anyway)?

Hi Dr. Wilkinson, The course content created for a face-to-face course typically wouldn't be appropriate for an online course because of the differences that exist between the face-to-face classroom and the online classroom. In the online classroom students really need to do more of the learning on their own. The content of the course must be organized so that it facilitates this. Thank you. Susan Ceklosky

Evaluation of students' progress and the course structure is essential. I am constantly feeling the essential importance of guiding students through their work by evaluating their progress. I really appreciated this Module that explained the facilitation factor nicely.

Asynchronous communication is an important element in my discussion board for online students. Being able to enter into a discussion posting area at any time of day or night is a fantastic benefit of this form of communication. Educational technology for the support of asynchronous communication is necessary (Han, Nelson, & Wetter, 2014).
 Reference
 Han, H., Nelson, E., & Wetter, N. (2014). Medical students' online learning technology needs.
Clin Teach. 11(1):15-9.

The use of multi types of technology is a great way for making a well made online course. I try to promote various appropriate technologies in my online courses. In a study, technology was noted as an essential element in supporting the mobile learning needs of medical students (Han, Nelson, & Wetter, 2014).
 Reference
Han, H., Nelson, E., & Wetter, N. (2014). Medical students' online learning technology needs.
Clin Teach. 11(1):15-9.

Revisions of course work are sometimes necessary. I really appreciate the need to revise my courses continuously. Phillippi and Schorn’s (2011) research indicated that having a revision process “demonstrates effective use of a variety of teaching modalities to enhance student learning” (p. 410). Reference Phillippi, J. C., & Schorn, M. N. (2011). Course revision: from unidirectional knowledge to dynamic application. J Nurs Educ. 50(7):410-3. doi: 10.3928/01484834-20110228-03. Epub 2011 Feb 28.

Assessment of course programs is so essential! Carefully assessing what works and what doesn't is vital to creating the most optimal learning environment. Mcnulty et. al (2014) noted the importance of formative evaluation of quizzes for course programs. Reference McNulty, J. A., Espiritu, B. R., Hoyt, A. E., Ensminger, D. C., & Chandrasekhar, A. J. (2014). Associations between formative practice quizzes and summative examination outcomes in a medical anatomy course. Anat Sci Educ. doi: 10.1002/ase.1442. [Epub ahead of print]

Communication to students is absolutely vital! Daniel and Wilfong (2014) emphasize the value of communication in the healthcare field. Working in the medical field, I especially realize the need for communication in ALL venues (in the workplace, online, etc.). In online courses, I work hard to minimize potential communication barriers. Reference Daniel, L. & Wilfong, D. (2014). Empowering interprofessional teams to perform effective handoffs through online hybrid simulation education. Crit Care Nurs Q.37(2):225-9. doi: 10.1097/CNQ.0000000000000023.

Creating exams requires careful and understanding of student needs. Revisions and testing of exams is necessary to make certain they are optimal for a given student population. Research done on the importance of increasing students' “motivation for comprehensive learning using automatically added contextual questions in electronic examinations” and the usefulness of carefully preparing examination data (Baumann & Perlitz, 2011, p. 351). Reference Baumann, M, & Perlitz, V. (2011). Can contextual online exams in practical biomedical education increase comprehension and motivation?: a pilot project. Biomed Tech 56(6):351-8. doi: 10.1515/BMT.2011.027.

When I started teaching on campus, I knew that I had to be fully prepared to engage the students and keep them interested. They could see by body language as well as "extras" that I might bring to the class such as share anecdotes, relative news articles, humor etc.. When I started teaching online, I feared that I might lose the excitement that I shared with my on ground students mainly because they could not see my body language. Because of my passion for education, when interacting with students via lecture or video, the enthusiasm in my voice served as that substitute. I also shared links to websites and articles, as well as some of my past challenging experiences and use of tools such as Jing and screen sharing programs which really help online learners feel connected. Please share ways that you engage online students vs on ground students. Thanks, Dianne

One possible technique that invites students to be part of the class (even though they are distant) is to have them interview each other in a Chat room and then post each other's biography. Students should be paired up (Jim interview Jenny, Jenny interview Jim) and in addition to establishing the typical biographical information, students could also ask 1-3 specific questions to enhance the introductions. (One of my favorite open-ended questions in class intros is, "What would you attempt to do if you knew you could not fail?" Students could be ) Once the interview has taken place, students post their fellow student's data to the Bio forum. Of course, this technique requires that students connect in real-time via phone or chat - which is not always convenient or available. Course design and technology play an important role here, but the attempt to bring students together across the distance - so they are perceived as "people" and not "objects" to each other - is an effective goal.

It is really important to understand your students’ personality types to make the online course work. Knowing how to channel disruptive behaviors and encourage quiet students to participate may not be easy but very important. What a great module to really speak to this need. Knowing your population of students is truly important. Online learning in nursing in the UK is showing promise; these programs are addressing the needs of learners in this changing world that is welcoming online systems (Purkis & Gabb, 2013). Even though our world is becoming more tech savvy, it’s always important to really look at the students’ personal needs with the online environment. Reference Purkis, N. & Gabb, C. A. (2013). Online learning professional development. Nurs Times. 2013 Dec 23-2014 Jan 14;109(51):16-8.

Getting students to participate in online courses is not always easy; yet it is essential to making a good course. I try hard to recognize the various types of learning styles of online students in an online course setting. I very much appreciate the various student types noted in this module. If learners are properly engaged in an online program, success is very possible (Taylor et. al, 2013). Reference Taylor, R., Jung, J., Loewen, P., Spencer, C., Dossa, A., & Lemons, J. (2013). Online versus Live Delivery of Education to Pharmacists in a Large Multicentre Health Region: A Non-inferiority Assessment of Learning Outcomes. Can J Hosp Pharm. 66(4): 233–240.

Presenting yourself as an online professor can be challenging. I know I certainly have felt the challenge. From this module, I’ve learned the importance of projecting your presence by noting your credentials, etc. to your students is important. Appropriate presentation and introduction to students is critical to a good learning environment (Reiness, 2011). Reference Reiness, G. (2011). Tools and Tips for Teachers CBE Life Sci Educ. 2011 Summer; 10(2): 146–148. doi: 10.1187/cbe.11-03-0021

Having a well-planned instructional design is critical for online learning. I, personally, have found the more prepared I am for online students, the better the course runs. A study noted that the main mark of success for online learners was the design of the online instruction (Changiz, Haghani, & Nowroozi, 2013). Reference Changiz, T., Haghani, F., & Nowroozi, N. (2013). Are postgraduate students in distance medical education program ready for e-learning? A survey in Iran. J Educ Health Promot. 30;2:61. doi: 10.4103/2277-9531.120862.

Do hybrid courses present a greater challenge for instructors since some of the information is presented online; while some is F2F? Jorell Lawrence

The extension of the teacher or professor to the learner is the main hurdle that must be overcome to make distant learning a success. How can we achieve that goal? As a matter of faculty statements to decipher any goals I believe in part depends on ensuring sufficient opportunity is captured for the instructor to demonstrate there knowledge. Requiring instructors to provide introductions and summaries of each modules concepts can provide a level of trust. The instructor should have the ability to merge information and in doing so supports the main goal of demonstrating how multiple concepts within a module relate, and in doing so assists with overall comprehension. Our comprehension ultimately depends understanding how single concept relate to compel a greater story.

I can see how guiding students is an important part of an online instructors role. We need to have the skills to guide and direct our students. Is anyone aware of any web sources that help you to become a better facilitator? Thank you Michele

I am currently teaching an online course. The students have established deadlines through out the week to complete discussion posts, assignments and tests. I hold a Live Lab each week. I struggle with some of the students not participating in the Live Lab discussions. It is as if, these would be the "quiet" students if we were meeting live. Does anyone have an tips to engaging all students? Thank you Michele