In
Instructor Social Presence: An Essential Tool for Online Student Engagement and Persistence in Higher Education
, Catheryn Reardon argues that the social presence of the instructor plays a critical role in online student engagement and persistence in higher education. Although the results presented in this study were inconclusive, the findings revealed some important areas for future research including the role that empathy plays in a virtual environment. Strategies are identified so instructors can appear more empathetic and accessible to their students online. Innovative technologies are also explored as the author challenges where the future of online education is headed and how that may impact the instructor and students of tomorrow.