Originally developed to assess teaching and learning for asynchronous, text-based learning environments, the Community of Inquiry (COI) instructional design framework addresses three primary elements of interaction in the learning environment: 1) social presence (SP), cognitive presence (CP), and teaching presence (TP) (Szapkiw & Szapkiw, 2010). As the name suggests, community within the learning environment is a primary focus in the COI framework. Learning is said to be a combination of individual thoughts and contributions as well as the combined interaction of learners in the educational environment. Deeper learning and higher-order thinking are encouraged in this framework, and it has been effectively and regularly used to analyze the effectiveness of online education.
The strengths of the COI framework lie in its structure. The social presence element allows learners to contribute to their own learning and the learning of others (Garrison, Anderson & Archer, 2000). Learners are able to be seen as real people in the often faceless realm of distance education. The cognitive presence element encourages the transfer of educational material into meaningful knowledge for each learner through the use of sustained communication (Garrison, Anderson & Archer, 2000). When learners can make content meaningful for themselves, it has greater potential for information retention and personal application of knowledge. The teacher presence element involves educators as guides on the side leading the learning process, interacting with learners, and contributing to meaningful learning.
Though the COI framework may sound great in theory, practice or application of the framework is equally important. In one higher education course I am currently developing, I can address the social presence element by giving students the ability to share their thoughts with others in the online classroom. This may be through asynchronous discussion boards or, perhaps, synchronous class sessions. To increase cognitive presence, I can give assignments that allow learners to apply new knowledge to topics that are meaningful to them or to their present work. Regular personal reflections on the material to encourage thought can also be beneficial. And as the educator, I can function more as a facilitator for learners than the sole expert as meaning is constructed through the two elements of social presence and cognitive presence. This allows for individual contribution and knowledge construction.
References
Garrison, D. R., Anderson, T., & Archer, W. (2000). Critical inquiry in a text-based environment: Computer conferencing in higher education. The Internet and Higher Education, 2, 87-105.
Szapkiw, A. (2010). EDUC633 - Module 1: Garrison et al.’s Community of Inquiry Framework. Unpublished learning unit, Lynchburg, Virginia, USA.
Michael,
ReplyDeleteAs I learn more about these various theories, I am heartened that as I apply technology to the classroom much of the best parts of these theories have been evidenced.
Currently, my students are interacting with French through a site called Edmodo. They like to call it educational facebook. Here discussions and ideas flow through a central stream. Students also interact through creation and presentation of learning objects withing the virtual classroom.
Using Edmodo has given students real ownership of the course and allowed me to interact with them in a deeper academic sense.
It is a good reflection of COI.
Thanks for sharing.
I am familiar with Edmodo, but I have not actually gotten to work with it. I can definitely see potential in this type of social media in education.
ReplyDeleteWas Edmodo a service you suggested for your French students or did they begin using it organically? How have you interacted with students in Edmodo as an educator to facilitate learning?
For those reading this blog, you can find Edmodo at http://www.edmodo.com.