A major concern of online learning is the absence of face-to-face student-instructor interaction and student-to-student interaction, leading researchers to examine practical approaches to keep students engaged in the online learning environment. Synchronous methods have become a growing opportunity for student engagement in the online environment. The problem is low student attendance at synchronous lectures in online classes that faculty are required to offer does not demonstrate that the large expenditures of time and resources are conducive to successful outcomes. Students who may have been drawn to the flexibility and nature of a fully asynchronous learning environment may not be able to or desire to navigate the time constraints of the scheduled synchronous lectures. The purpose of this study was to explore the activities in a selected number of online courses that could influence attendance, participation, and connections of students in synchronous lectures that were required for faculty to host. In order to understand the faculty behaviors and activities that influence student attendance and participation in online synchronous lectures, this study was guided by the social constructivism theory and community of inquiry, with a specific focus on teaching presence. The qualitative, naturalistic observation methodology was chosen for this study. The population for the qualitative naturalistic observation study was the instructors and students participating in online courses at an associate's, bachelor's, and master's degree-granting institution with campuses in the Midwest and Florida. Observation notes were gathered over a six-week period for 8 courses using an observation protocol and a synchronous meeting researcher observation log. The results revealed that instructors who frequently posted visual elements and messages to the course engaged students and received student attendance to the weekly synchronous lectures. The study also revealed that the courses with high levels of instructor-student-interactions encouraged learner participation, and high levels of interaction during the live synchronous lectures could promote student attendance. Further, it was shown that students felt comfortable with communicating with other students, as well as their instructors when instructors create learning environments that foster social presence and encourage student participation and engagement. This data may influence academic leaders to examine the investment into required synchronous lectures. This study may also provide insights into the influences of student engagement and interaction in online courses, as well as attendance and participation in synchronous lectures. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://www.proquest.com.bibliotheek.ehb.be/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]