Establishing Social Presence through Online Interactions: A Case Study in a Literacy Clinic

During the global pandemic, teachers and students were forced to quickly adjust teaching and learning to fit in the new socially distanced world. Along with the challenge of establishing effective online teaching tools came the need to create social spaces for connecting with students through teacher-student interactions. This study followed the practices of K-12 teachers who were also graduate students seeking an advanced endorsement in literacy as they grappled with problems and solutions of online learning during an intensive K-12 literacy tutoring program. The researchers honed in on the work of one focal teacher as she carved out a new social space for connecting with her students. This work resulted in the identification of specific criteria for three dimensions of social presence: relationship building, engagement, and social interactions.