Week 3

Learning Objectives

The student will:

Identify the three components of COI
Identify the roles of the three components of COI
Explain the importance of the balance between the three components of COI

Chapter Summaries

Chapter 1: Introduction

Humans are social creatures, who learn the best via a collaborative group environment. Traditional face-to-face classrooms were created to foster that environment, however time and culture have transformed that intention into a one-way street; where information flows from the teacher to the student. The advent of eLearning was developed in order to facilitate the need of learners to connect over time and space, and thus fostered a resurgence in the group learning environment (Garrison, 2017).

Chapter 2: Theoretical Foundations Overview

Traditional classroom environments view learning as an individual task, where students must work alone to master the course content. Each learner is responsible for his or her own learning, however critical and higher order thinking requires the collaborative effort of a group, or as identified in this session, a community (Garrison, 2017). Technology employed by eLearning can greatly facilitate a community of learners, however it can also be challenging to many teachers to implement within established curricula effectively. The use of technology within a course must be efficient in order to effectively apply the learning goals, as well as challenge the traditional view of assessments. Instead of a means to earn a grade, assessments must also provide continuing feedback and topics for continued discourse and higher order thinking (Garrison, 2017).

Chapter 3: Community of Inquiry Overview

A Community of Inquiry (COI) group of learners challenge each other to question and apply individual learning via discourse and problem solving. This is more than just a discussion group, a COI assumes the roles of teacher and learner as they analyze and explore the challenges provided to them (Garrison, 2017). In order to function correctly, a COI requires three elements working together: a Social Presence, a Cognitive Presence, and a Teaching Presence (Garrison, 2017). Each element supports, and in turn, is dependent upon the other elements, and must function well in order to have a successful Community of Inquiry.

Chapter 4: Social Presence Overview

As mentioned previously, a Community of Inquiry is a group of learners working together to foster higher-order thinking and problem solving. Working together in a group is difficult if the members do not feel like they "belong". Emotion and inter-personal relationships are critical in this presence to generate a safe environment for learning (Garrison, 2017). Social Presence requires guidance, however, in order to prevent inter-personal relationships from conflicting with the group, as well as balance the social interaction with meaningful learning experiences (Garrison, 2017). Appropriate ice breaker activities can be critical to foster group interaction, and apply the academic goals of the lesson.

Chapter 5: Cognitive Presence Overview

The second element in the COI framework is the Cognitive Presence. Out of the three elements, this presence deals with the individual thinking and learning responsibilities. This presence can be quite prevalent in abstract academic courses, like mathematics and science, however can be difficult to employ in skills based courses due to the nature of learning a physical skill. Classes such as shop and design focus heavily on kinesthetic tasks, and less on individual critical thinking. As with Social Presence, Cognitive Presence must also receive guidance, in order to balance individual thinking with group collaboration (Garrison, 2017).

Chapter 6: Teaching Presence Overview

The previous two elements, Social and Cognitive Presence required guidance in order to remain in balance. Teaching Presence provides that guidance, and is critical to maintain an effective COI. In a Community of Inquiry, instructors must be focused and organized, and yet flexible to handle unexpected learning situations (Garrison, 2017). Within the groups, discourse must be focused and constructive, and critical thinking must be guided in order to foster appropriate academic discussions. However, while supporting the groups, teachers must also balance their facilitation, in order to allow for discourse, and not affect student understanding and participation (Garrison, 2017).

Blackboard Collaborate Session 1

This session was recorded strictly for remote viewing, and covers the origins and intentions of eLearning.

Blackboard Collaborate Session 2

This session was recorded with two students in attendance, and covers the three components of COI.

COI Assessment Quiz

Reference

Garrison, R. D. (2017). E-Learning in the 21st century a community of inquiry framework for research and practice. New York: Routledge.

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