ABSTRACT
This chapter provides an overview of online instructional communication pedagogy and research since its inception in the 1990s. It summarizes current instructional communication research in online settings organized around the themes of interpersonal and relational dynamics, classroom climate, social presence, and course design and delivery. The chapter believes instructional communication research may provide insight to those teaching communication courses online, to those teaching courses in disciplines across the academy online, and to those teaching concepts, skills, or processes in professional training and development workshops and campaigns online. As online courses offer more and more opportunities for teacher-student and student-student communication and interaction, Wombacher, Harris, Buckner, Frisby, and Limperos cautioned that students may also experience computer-mediated communication anxiety (CMCA), which does impact instructor credibility and learning. They suggest taking a student-centered approach to online learning by surveying students regarding their CMCA and then providing opportunities for training in the technologies to be used in the course.
