Course:OL Delivery:OTL201

OTL101

OTL301

Planning

Overview

Building a sense of connectedness and community in the virtual class has been linked to increased learner satisfaction, retention and engagement in online learning. With the ultimate goals of maximizing the learning experience, creating a positive "social presence" cannot be understated. Participants will explore and acquire strategies for engaging their students in social, educationally meaningful ways to foster a sense of connectedness. Specifically by adding the human touch, course facilitation, retention and engagement strategies will be explored to mitigate instances of students "vanishing" into the virtual world.

Outcomes

1. analyze the characteristics of ‘social presence’ in an effective online learning environment
2. identify factors or considerations that contribute to student engagement and retention in distance learning environments.
3. evaluate effective course facilitation strategies to increase student engagement and retention.
4. create and implement strategies to maximize student engagement in distance learning courses.
5. identify at-risk students and apply appropriate retention strategies.
6. create an environment that supports and enhances social presence in your courses.
7. monitor your progress towards achieving your goals resulting in an improved and enhanced social presence in your courses.