<p>Projecting your presence in an online course is vital to your student's success in the course and their confidence in you as an instructor. Unlike in face-to-face courses where you can see and interact with your students, an online course can be isolating for students at a distance. Visible online presence leads to regular and substantive interactions beyond just popping in the course to grade assignments and post new content. Instructors gain trust and interest by projecting their authority and developing authentic relationships with their students. This along with consistently projecting their presence strengthens the connection and leads to higher levels of student motivation and engagement.</p>