The Importance of Being Human: Instructors' Personal Presence in Distance Programs

Autor/inn/en	Reupert, Andrea; Maybery, Darryl; Patrick, Kent; Chittleborough, Philip
Titel	The Importance of Being Human: Instructors' Personal Presence in Distance Programs
Quelle	In: International Journal of Teaching and Learning in Higher Education, 21 (2009) 1, S.47-56 (10 Seiten)Infoseite zur Zeitschrift PDF als Volltext kostenfreie Datei Verfügbarkeit
Sprache	englisch
Dokumenttyp	gedruckt; online; Zeitschriftenaufsatz
ISSN	1812-9129
Schlagwörter	Feedback (Response); Higher Education; Curriculum Design; Self Disclosure (Individuals); Distance Education; Focus Groups; Teacher Role; Academic Achievement; Surveys; Synchronous Communication; Models; Evaluation + Suchen Sie Ihr Suchwort? Hochschulbildung; Hochschulsystem; Hochschulwesen; Lehrplangestaltung; Distance study; Distance learning; Fernunterricht; Lehrerrolle; Schulleistung; Survey; Umfrage; Befragung; Analogiemodell; Evaluierung
Abstract	Literature on the role of higher education distance instructors mostly focuses on their teaching role, involving tasks such as curriculum design, instruction, and facilitating student learning. What is missing is the role of the "person" of the instructor, defined as his or her personality, identity, integrity, emotions, thoughts, beliefs, and values. The aim of this study was to ascertain whether distance students want a personal presence from their instructors, and if so, how an instructor's personal presence might impact on teaching and learning in the higher education sector. Qualitative analyses of 68 surveys and a focus group interview found that, while a minority of students report not wanting instructors to have a personal presence, most highlight the need for engaging, passionate, and understanding instructors who show these attributes through self disclosure, relationship building, humor, and individualized feedback. At the same time, instructors' personal qualities need to be mediated through learning. Various modes were identified that might encourage a personal mode of distance teaching, though the teaching medium did not appear to matter as much as having an instructor who, in the words of one participant, was "human." (As Provided).
Anmerkungen	International Society for Exploring Teaching and Learning. Web site: http://www.isetl.org/ijtlhe
Erfasst von	ERIC (Education Resources Information Center), Washington, DC
Update	2017/4/10