To gain respect and trust it is good to post a brief biography about yourself to let your students know your educational background. as well as your past work experience. It is also important to be empathetic with your students so they feel heard and understood.
To apply what I haveI plan to expand on my bio, and during the first week of the course, encourage the students to respond to each other's bio's with questions and positive comments.
In summary, you project your presence in an online classroom by combining visual, vocal, and interactive engagement:
Be visible: Turn on your camera so students can see you.
Use your voice effectively: Speak clearly, vary your tone, and show enthusiasm.
Interact often: Ask questions, respond to students, and encourage participation.
Use tools: Features in platforms like Zoom, Google Meet, or Microsoft Teams (chat, polls, reactions) help keep you present and engaged.
Be responsive and organized: Give feedback and guide the class smoothly
So essentially: be seen, be heard, and actively connect with your students.
I can help students feel engaged, heard, and respected by introducing myself and getting to know them through biographies. Creating ways for students to ask questions and interact with myself and other students will help them feel more comfortable.
Comment on Xuan Dung Nguyen's post: I agree, especially about timely feedback. Sometimes a student has an urgent question that needs to be answered and when the instructor answers right away it relieves stress from the student.
I learned that projecting your presence in an online course is important because it helps students feel connected, supported, and engaged even when the class is not face to face. This topic showed me that an instructor’s presence can be communicated through regular announcements, timely feedback, active participation in discussions, and a friendly, encouraging tone. I plan to apply this by being more visible in my online course, communicating consistently, and making sure students know I am available and involved in their learning.
Online classroom presence is important, so your students know that you are here an engaged and involved in their overall success.
Have students engage on day one to make them feel comfortable & at ease.
I learned that it is very important to take the initiative to establish a relationship with each student, and this can be done at the onset of the class by make sure that each student posts info about themselves, and sending a personalized message to each individual student.
I learnt that establishing your authority, presence and support from a distance is critical to online teaching.
I learned that effective synchronous discussions require preparation, clear organization, and student engagement. Providing materials ahead of time helps students come prepared to contribute, while keeping groups small and sessions short helps maintain focus. I also learned that creating a welcoming environment and using tools like video conferencing can help students feel more connected and engaged during discussions.
In this course I have learned it is important to get to know my students and to individually also encourage them to connect with one another. I have learned to also encourage face-to-face study groups when possible. In addition, I hope to start a group chat so students can stay informed, support each other, and share helpful study tools. This will help build a stronger sense of community within the class.
This module was informative and an excellent review. Developing trusting relationships through an online leaning environment can be accomplished and is so rewarding.
I've learned that it's important to engage students by getting to know them and allowing them the opportunity to know each other. Something interesting I've learned is if you have students that live or work in close proximity, they should be encouraged to meet and engage in face-to-face discussions.
This module was pretty informative and is showing us how to have students engage like having this discussion post.
From this module, I learned how essential it is for an online instructor to be intentionally present in the virtual classroom. Presence isn’t just about showing up—it’s about communicating clearly, engaging consistently, and creating an environment where students feel supported and connected. I gained a deeper understanding of how tone, responsiveness, and purposeful interaction all contribute to a stronger sense of instructor presence.
I plan to apply these concepts by being more deliberate with my communication. This includes posting timely announcements, providing regular feedback, and using a warm, encouraging tone in my messages. I also intend to be more visible in discussion boards by guiding conversations, posing probing questions, and acknowledging student contributions. Additionally, I will incorporate short video check‑ins or weekly overview messages to help humanize the online learning experience.
Overall, this module reinforced that instructor presence directly affects student motivation and success, and I’m committed to applying these strategies to make my online classroom more engaging, supportive, and effective.
Comment on Danielle Smith's post:
Hi Danielle,
I really appreciate the points you highlighted! Your focus on responding quickly and thoroughly to student questions is so important—students absolutely notice when we make them feel seen and valued. You’re right that our level of engagement on the discussion board sets the tone. When instructors model active participation, students are much more likely to follow our lead and engage meaningfully with each other.
I also liked your point about including a biography in the first forum post. It’s such a simple step, but it does so much to build early connection and trust, especially in an online environment where relationships don’t form as naturally.
Thanks for sharing such thoughtful reflections!
Overall, this module reinforced that successful online teaching requires intention, presence, organization, and empathy. I am committed to applying these strategies to help instructors create high‑quality online learning experiences that foster engagement, clarity, and meaningful student success.
I agree with this module we must first establish a relationship with the students. by doing this we make our selves approachable. the affective learning can be established.
Comment on Shawn Pratte's post: Agreed. Any good relationship starts on the best foundation which is trust.
