Milton W. Wendland (JD, PhD) is a professor of instruction in the Department of Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies at the University of South Florida, where he specializes in equitable and inclusive online education.
“Presence” is one of the most discussed and misunderstood concepts in course design. Faculty across higher education know that students learn better when teachers are present, yet advice about achieving presence frequently boils down to a single, problematic instruction: be available all the time. The result? Blurred boundaries, relentless stress, and eventually, burnout.
Research confirms that simply being “on call” does not guarantee meaningful presence.i Similarly, our perceptions of our own presence in our classes doesn’t always align with student perceptions.ii In other words, it’s not how often but how. Structured, meaningful teaching presence trumps being available around the clock to every student.iii Presence through course design allows instructors to embed their voices, guidance, and care directly into the course, creating a sense of presence students can feel consistently—without requiring faculty to be online 24/7. When students know what to expect and feel guided, they engage more deeply, requiring fewer emergency check-ins and avoiding frustration from unclear instructions or unpredictable course structure. Thoughtful presence-design doesn’t mean you do less; it means you let the course design do more toward allowing students to feel supported even when you are not actively online. Try these eight practical steps to create presence in your course design.
1. Design a Course Narrative, Not Just Modules
Many courses can feel like a collection of disconnected tasks. Design presence begins with designing a narrative arc. At the start of each module, include a short paragraph or two-minute video that communicates why the topics matters in the course and to students’ larger educations, how the topic connects to previous content in the course, and what students should be able to do by the end of the module. The consistency of encountering your voice at the start of every module helps students feel oriented, even if they never message you directly. Over time, the narrative structure itself signals instructor presence, guiding students through the learning journey.
2. Use Structured Weekly Announcements
Predictable weekly announcements provide a low-effort but high-impact form of presence. A Monday overview or Friday reflection can replace ad-hoc emails while guiding students and reminding them of expectations. Announcements can also include encouragement at critical stages of structured assignments or before exams, or reminders about upcoming deadlines. Best of all, many learning management systems allow announcements to be created ahead of time and scheduled for release.
3. Embed Short, Purposeful Videos
Video is one of the most direct ways to make your presence felt asynchronously, and the good news is that videos don’t need high production value to be effective. Informal clips often feel more authentic and human than long, highly produced videos, providing reassurance that a real instructor is present. Consider adding short assignment walkthroughs, check-ins at key points of the semester, weekly overviews, and short clarifications of common mistakes on assignments.
4. Embed Instructor Voice in Feedback
Feedback is one of the strongest sites of presence. Automated quizzes and auto-graded assignments can simulate guidance, but adding a personal note or example makes the feedback human and meaningful. Efficient use of feedback banks and templates with lightly added customizations ensures that students receive the personal touch without requiring hours of work. Simply adding a student’s name to feedback or adding a comment like “I can see your progress since the last assignment” can help students feel seen and connected to the course.
5. Make Expectations Visible Before They’re Needed
A strong sense of presence emerges when students can anticipate what comes next. Instead of burying policies in a syllabus, surface expectations contextually and remind students regularly about response times for emails, office hours structure and purposes, and discussion norms in scheduled announcements or short-clip videos. This strategy is particularly effective when used to let students know what’s going on in your professional life. For example, a short video announcing that you’ll be presenting a paper on ABC at a conference as part of your research and that you’ll be taking a little longer to respond to email not only alerts students to what is coming but helps them see you as more than just the instructor for one course.
6. Use Consistent Language and Visual Cues
Consistency in headings, icons, color schemes, and phrasing helps students feel oriented. Examples of effective cues include language like “Instructor Tip,” “Common Pitfall,” and “Check Before You Submit.” These elements act as silent teaching assistants, signaling your presence and guidance without requiring real-time individual interaction.
7. Write Instructions as If You’re Standing Beside the Student
Assignment instructions are a critical but underutilized tool for building presence. Rather than using purely formal language, try a conversational, supportive tone that acknowledges common challenges, explains the purpose of the assignment, and clarifies what success looks like. For example, a single sentence such as “Students often ask whether depth or breadth matters more here—depth is your priority” can eliminate dozens of clarification emails.
8. Anticipate Emotional Moments in the Semester
Presence is not only cognitive—it’s emotional. And students aren’t just names—they’re humans. Build reach-outs like announcements and video messages at emotional points of the semester—during the first week when students are barraged with multiple syllabi, right before an exam, during midterms, et cetera. Brief, timely messages acknowledging workload or normalizing uncertainty significantly improve students’ sense of support. I often mention in my short-clip videos that “Yes, this week’s reading is just a little boring even for me, but the reason we want to work together to understand it is because….” My admission combined with my rationale helps students see a way forward by which they can engage with the reading instead of avoiding it.
These and other strategies are built into the design of the class, providing benefits to both instructor and students. For instructors, reaction communication is reduced, sustainable teaching practices are produced, and boundaries are maintained. For students, these strategies increase motivation and trust, provide clarity about what’s happening when and why, and reduces emotional frustration.
In other words, presence is a design outcome rather than a personal sacrifice. These strategies aren’t about doing less; they help design do more. By embedding guidance, reassurance, and structure into the course itself, instructors can maintain a strong teaching presence without jeopardizing their well-being.
i Kangwa, D., Xiulan, W., Msambwa Msafiri, M., & Fute, A. (2024). Enhanced learning engagement through teaching presence in online distance education. Distance Education, 45(4), 497–514. https://doi.org/10.1080/01587919.2024.2347998
ii Wang, Y., Stein, D., & Shen, S. (2021). Students’ and teachers’ perceived teaching presence in online courses. Distance Education, 42(3), 373–390. https://doi.org/10.1080/01587919.2021.1956304
iii Liao, H., Zhang, Q., Yang, L., & Fei, Y. (2023). Investigating relationships among regulated learning, teaching presence and student engagement in blended learning: An experience sampling analysis. Education and Information Technologies, 28(10), 12997+. http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s10639-023-11717-5
MEET THE AUTHOR
Milton W. Wendland (JD, PhD) is a professor of instruction in the Department of Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies at the University of South Florida, where he specializes in equitable and inclusive online education. He regularly teaches Queer Film and Television; LGBTQ+ Cultures; Gender, Sexuality, and the Law; Intro to Women’s and Gender Studies; and related courses in online formats.
Image credit: Milton W. Wendland