Cultivating Online Professor Presence as the Doorway to Discipleship

Abstract

Studies have revealed that professor presence, and not merely professor engagement, are essential to a student’s success. While traditional, residential higher education programs often assume professor presence, the online experience requires proactivity by its faculty members in order to fill the natural perceptions that occur within virtual spaces. The challenge for Christian instructors is even greater, however, as effective professor presence is the doorway to spiritual influence. The purpose of this paper is to explore the theoretical foundations behind professor presence, to demonstrate the connection between professor presence and discipleship, and to also provide practical ideas to assist instructors in the process of implementation. Thus, faculty members will gain a clear understanding of not only why professor presence matters but also how they can assume greater levels of influence within their online classrooms.