Close Encounters of the Student Kind: Perceptions of Instructor Proximity

Teaching in an online asynchronous modality would seem to create a challenging classroom management experience. Proximity does exist in the online classroom and can be achieved through applying several best practices. Instructors often comment on the lack of attention to detail students take when responding to discussion questions and their peer’s responses. The focus on student participation is important and should be reviewed, however instructors must take into account their personal presence in the classroom. We discuss the results outlining student perceptions of faculty proximity through the lens of instructor engagement, teacher-student relationships, and instructor personalization. We will also discuss the benefits of intentional instructor engagement, activities and strategies to cultivate and create proximity in the online classroom and review a recent study on students’ perception of online instructor proximity.

In discussing the results of a study we completed, we hope to provide a deeper understanding of the effects of instructor proximity on student engagement, success, and retention in the online classroom. This proximity study is supported by the social presence theory. Interactions between instructor and active discussion with other students were significantly associated with student’s perceived learning and course satisfaction (Cho & Tobias, 2016). Proximity clearly affects learner academic performance, satisfaction, and retention, the question remains how to best develop proximity within online learning environments. We will provide effective strategies affirmed by students to create proximity in the online classroom.

The presentation will be delivered via PowerPoint with a supplemental handout provided. As we explore closing the proximal gap using technology, we will be asking attendees to participate in three (3) Fliprgrid activities. At the start of the presentation those that are willing to, will be asked to download the Flipgrid Application, and sign into a specific grid (the designation will be provided in the presentation). They will be asked to introduce themselves, describe their area of expertise, and define proximity to them. The second activity will ask them to provide a brief description of how they engage their online students, build relationships, and personalize their online classrooms. The last activity will ask them to share something they have learned in the presentation, provide one strategy they plan on taking into their classroom, and then ask any remaining questions they have.

Throughout the presentation, we will be live Tweeting, and asking attendees to participate. We will be using the hashtags; #olcProximity, #olc2019, #FlipgridFever, to help collate the responses and build and an online network of educators passionate about engaging their students and closing the proximal gap.