2nd Annual Conference for High Impact Instructional Practices

Research shows a higher degree of faculty engagement positively influences student satisfaction and retention in the online learning environment (Shea, Pickett & Pelz, 2003) and that engagement is a key predictor of student success (Kuh, 2005). While mechanical methods to engage students in an online course exist, such as organization of modules and location of information, professors themselves must be present within the course as a determinant of student success. It has been found that a strong professor presence in the online environment leads to higher perceived knowledge gain and student-professor relationship satisfaction. (Song, Kim & Park, 2019). The purpose of this session is to explore the idea of professor presence, why it is crucial for students within the online environment, ways to integrate professor presence in a course, and to provide practical application of methods in which professor presence may be integrated within an online course.