In asynchronous online education, the lack of real-time interaction does not remove the need for teaching presence; it simply requires that presence to be built differently. The frequency of contact, the clarity of responses, the tone of communication, and the quality of feedback all form part of an educational experience in which many students study while working and managing other responsibilities.
The article by Rosa Romero Alonso, Jorge Valenzuela Gárate, and Juan J. Anzola examines the extent to which students’ perceptions of this facilitating role are related to academic outcomes, using data from 31,240 students and 1,457 courses at a Chilean technical and vocational higher education institution.
The analysis groups courses according to their levels of pass rates, participation, and performance, and identifies significant differences in several specific aspects of teaching practice. Courses with stronger indicators tend to receive more favourable ratings regarding the frequency of contact, responses to questions about assessments, and the timely provision of feedback on extended-response assignments and forum activities.
The provision of supplementary materials and cordial, respectful treatment are also associated with academic outcomes. Not every dimension of teaching shows the same relationship, and the study does not establish that these practices directly cause better performance. It does, however, identify which elements of the teaching experience vary consistently among courses with high, medium, and low outcomes.
The study’s most interesting contribution lies in shifting the discussion away from a generic notion of “support” towards actions that can be observed, assessed, and improved. Responding promptly is not the same as responding usefully; sharing additional resources only adds value when it deepens understanding; and cordiality is not a decorative extra, but a condition that can reduce the distance perceived by the student.
As this is an exploratory study conducted at a single institution, further qualitative research and designs capable of identifying causal relationships will be needed. Even with that caution, the findings suggest that the quality of asynchronous education depends not only on the platform or on students’ autonomy, but also on how the teacher turns distance into a recognisable pedagogical presence.
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How to Cite: Romero Alonso, R., Valenzuela Gárate, J., & Anzola Vera, J. J. (2023). The Facilitating Role of the Teacher in Asynchronous Online Training and Academic Outcomes: An Exploratory Study. RIED-Revista Iberoamericana de Educación a Distancia, 26(1), 83–100. https://doi.org/10.5944/ried.26.1.33982
