ABSTRACT
Online teaching is comprised of many elements. In an online course, technological knowledge would include the learning management system, the virtual classroom, and any other special software or tools to support learning. Skilled online instructors need pedagogical orientations and strategies that are rooted in the learning sciences and that are specific to synchronous, asynchronous, and hybrid contexts. Cultivating social presence is an important pedagogical strategy for promoting student engagement in online courses. Instructors can encourage students to provide a weekly update or check in, and include student participation in this space as part of the course grade. Collaboration, which requires working together to develop shared meaning, has many benefits for learners. Instructors can create virtual spaces for collaboration. Instructors should allow each student to begin the term by sharing their name and pronouns.
