Hi everyone, we've just wrapped up week three, planning online learning, and there's been some fabulous posts in the discussion forum. So to start off, again we're responding to the top five posts in the week three question and answer for Simon and myself. So the most topped up question was regarding teacher's presence and that was from Mary. So thank you Mary. And the question was, keeping a teacher's presence in an online environment, how do we do that, particularly if it's for 18 weeks or a long period of time? So Simon, do you want to start off on responding? >> I think there was some really good responses from other people in that thread, particularly Christine and Robert, you really laid out some good points. And don't forget module seven is where we talk about this in depth. So, do have a look at the concept video and download the PDF because we've got a lot of those tips in there as well. But primarily I think it's really about making sure that you, your personality is actually in that course and that it's regular and that students know what to expect and when to expect you, I think that's the biggest thing. One of the greatest things with online are the greatest unknowns, I should say, is the fact that you're not designated to go to a classroom at the same time of the week. So you don't know when someone's coming back, unless they build that pattern and that reputation. Actually, reputation too, but repetition and patterning. >> Yeah, it's the pattern that Simon is mentioning. It's, I mean obviously if it's 18 weeks or 20 weeks or however long it is, you need to keep that regular involvement in the course through whatever types of activities are in there, whether it's forums or blogs or whatever you're having your students doing, so that they know that your presence is there. And, just like I think, it was Pit Back mentioned potentially, I think it was in that forum, you don't have to respond to every single thing that the students are posting. But by responding a little bit here and there, you do give them the impression that you are going in and you are reading everything and you are active, but you're not taking over the discussion, you're letting them discuss. And if questions come up, if there's a lull in the discussion, you spark it up again. But they know that you're there, and I think the best way to manage that, at least for myself, is I set time aside, whether it's mornings or whether it's evenings, whatever works for me. I set about like a two-hour block aside for a course that I'm teaching. I'm not talking about the MOOC but online courses that I teach, to say this is the time I'm going to spend looking at people's responses, responding to them so that I know that it's carved out in my day and I don't let a few days go by because that's when it gets overwhelming. >> Yeah, that's true. Regularity, it's important for many reasons, but particularly with online learning. It will get on top of you, if you don't do that. So, maybe just to wrap up. Be very regular in your visits. Make sure you are injecting a little bit of your personality, so give something of yourself to the course material. It can also be in the way that you design those interactions, that can also be your presence in there too. And try and be timely with feedback. And the other thing I'd throw in there is, actually empowering students to engage with each other, and just shaping it here and there, that's also takes the burden off you. It has to be sustainable. >> Mm-hm. >> So whether it's for one week or 18 weeks, do it in a way that the students understand and have the expectations of how often you're going to be there and how you're going to interact. >> Exactly. >> But read the thread and do module seven, and I think you'll get some good answers.