The Use Of Whatsapp As A Learning Platform To Facilitate Social Presence In Teaching Biography

Abstract

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, teaching and learning activities are conducted online, this leads to a limitation of interaction between teachers and students so that students cannot feel the social presence of teachers. This best practice explains how pre-service teachers use WhatsApp as a learning platform to facilitate teachers' social presence during online learning in teaching biography recount in senior high schools. I used the strategy from Aragon (2003) to create a teacher’s social presence in online learning. Therefore, based on the teaching practice I have done, WhatsApp media can be a learning medium that is able to create a social presence for teachers during online learning. However, this media has some flaws so it needs other platforms as media that can perfect its flaws. I suggested that teachers be able to implement the strategy of Aragon (2003) in creating teachers’ social presence during online learning by using WhatsApp as learning platform.