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.