Presence in Distance Teaching

Presence refers to being present in a certain place at a certain time. In the context of language
learning in the classroom or in online environments, we can talk about three kinds of
presence: cognitive presence, social presence, and teaching presence.

The most vital of these three is the cognitive presence. It is the intellectual and mental effort
and processes required for learning. People do not learn if they are disconnected from the
relevant subject and the environment they are learning that subject in, so it is necessary to
keep the mind of the learner here and now on the learning experience as much as possible. In
an online classroom, a variety of activities such as pairing, sequencing, drag and drop, and
selection help keep the cognitive presence of the learners at a certain level.

Social presence refers to the personal understanding and shared dialogue in the classroom
(both online and face-to-face). It involves participation of the students in the lesson as a
group. Both cognitive presence and social presence are influenced by the communication
strategies and methods used within the classroom or the online environment. Social presence
ensures collaboration.

Teaching presence involves conducting and directing cognitive and social presence. It is
implicit in face-to-face teaching. As teachers, we get prepared for our role, walk inside the
classroom and guide our class in their learning. However, in online environments there are
more layers between the teacher and the learners. The teacher needs to put in more work
using tools and methods to show students that they are being led by a walking, talking,
breathing human and not a head inside a window on a screen. With her or his presence
apparent, the teacher creates and monitors the desired environment for the students.

Awareness and effective use of presence is a vital part of effective teaching. When it comes
to online teaching, carrying out an online lesson like a face-to-face lesson is often fruitless.
Facilitating stimulation and participation through these interconnected presences is even more
important in an online classroom.