Using a Peer Review Group to Improve and Sustain Social Presence in Teacher Education Online Coursework

• In Event: AERA Roundtable Session 14
  In Roundtable Session: Navigating Teacher Preparation During the COVID-19 Pandemic

Abstract

This study presents four faculty members’ experiences in confronting the challenge of the rush to online coursework juxtaposed with the desire to provide an online learning community for preservice teachers during the pandemic. We describe how phases of design-based research helped us to achieve our pedagogical goal of creating and sustaining social presence in our online learning environments. We narrow in on one useful process during the initial phase, an innovative peer review group, that helped us achieve our goal. The peer review group provided a systematic process that was a crucial step to change. We make assertions that sustaining social presence is a step towards teaching in the service of equity.

Authors

• Annie C. Ittner, Western Oregon University

• Ya-Fang Cheng, Western Oregon University

• Andrea M. Emerson, Western Oregon University

• Jaclyn Caires-Hurley, Western Oregon University