Affiliation:
1. Texas Tech University, USA
Abstract
The author proposes a conceptual model of virtual caring in education to inform caring in online course design and teacher/instructor competencies for practicing caring in a virtual education environment. Following Noddings' perspective of caring relationships in a traditional face-to-face education environment, this conceptual model of virtual caring conceptualizes caring in a virtual education environment in terms of developing virtual relationships. This model explains the meaning of caring in a virtual education environment and further specifies it into cognitive, social, and affective categories. This chapter explains the following concepts, which define the conceptual model of virtual caring in education, the virtual presence of caring, or virtual caring, the total virtual presence of caring, or virtual engrossment, virtual reciprocity, and technology motivational displacement in affective, cognitive, and social categories, and identifies elements in the components. A literature review is conducted to validate this model. Applications are discussed.