I believe that the skills of online instructors are many. These areas should include:

1.      Knowledgeable in the content area in which they are teaching and must know how to help the students to develop an understanding of the content in a distance or online environment. 

2.      The instructors need to be able to blend pedagogy, technology, and the content of the course.   Online learning programs often struggle to find well-qualified instructors who understand how the connection of technology, pedagogy, and content that can provide meaningful learning experiences for learners. 

3.      The online instructor should also establish an online presence.  The instructor must establish a welcoming presence to the online students.  He or she must also set a tone that will encourage reflection and inquiry, broaden and deepen online communication, assess both individual and group learning and interactions, make critical judgments about whether and how well participants are gaining content-specific knowledge, and encourage those who fall behind in posting. 

4.      Effective communication skill is also necessary for the online instructor.  It is important for online discussions. Without such discussions the learning opportunity becomes a lone endeavor, and the opportunity for in deep learning is lost. 

5.      Online instructors should be able to manage the online learners in his or her class.  Online learning can be difficult for learners who have never done online courses.  Some of the students may have difficulty completing their work in such an open environment.  The instructors would have to spend time assisting this learner.  The learner may just want to be motivated, counseled, or monitor their performance. This can be done by e-mails or forums like this course on an ongoing basis. 

Burns, M. (2011). Distance education for teacher training: Modes, models and methods. Retrieved from http://go.edc.org/07xd ��b��6J��