Cultivating social presence is essential for learner engagement & graduation/completion in online courses. Learners on courses with poorly supported social presence report feeling isolated, demotivated, & are far more likely to disengage, miss classes, fail to complete assignments, & eventually drop out.

Social presence is learners' & teachers' sense of belonging & community & their ability to project themselves as 'real' people with personalities, thoughts, opinions, & feelings to each other. When it's well cultivated, learners support & encourage each other, especially through their more challenging experiences. This course demonstrates some effective strategies for cultivating social presence in an online environment.

Some examples of placement tests, focusing on different approaches, e.g. vocabulary knowledge, language functions, form-meaning relationships, & integrative vs. discreet point testing. Unlike written paper-based tests, online formats can include multimedia, e.g. listening to audio, colour images, & video, thereby testing a wider variety of skills & enabling a wider variety of question-response types.

Online tests can be configured for self-registration & automatic enrolment so that potential students simply sign up, take the test, & get their certificate. Tests can include writing & speaking tasks. You'll also have their contact information to follow up with them, e.g. to arrange a speaking test &/or to discuss course enrolments.

Online placement tests can be especially useful for intensive courses & summer schools where it can substantially reduce the number of students who require testing on arrival by allowing them to take the test at their own convenience at home or while waiting at the airport on their mobile phones.