Critical thinking, cognitive presence, and computer conferencing in distance education

Abstract

This article describes a practical approach to judging the nature and quality of critical discourse in a computer conference. A model of a critical community of inquiry frames the research. A core concept in defining a community of inquiry is cognitive presence. In turn, the practical inquiry model operationalizes cognitive presence for the purpose of developing a tool to assess critical discourse and reflection. Encouraging empirical findings related to an attempt to create an efficient and reliable instrument to assess the nature and quality of critical discourse and thinking in a textbased educational context are presented. Finally, it is suggested that cognitive presence (i.e., critical, practical inquiry) can be created and supported in a computer conference environment with appropriate teaching and social presence.

Collaborative learning as a collective competence when students use the potential of meaning in asynchronous dialogues

“…A prevalent method for studying online learning has been to categorise students' asynchronous dialogue contributions based on different quality criteria. For example, Garrison et al (2001) and Meyer (2003) use the course participants' contributions to categorise the development of their ability to analyse critically. In Schellens and Valcke's (2005) study, the authors try to identify to what extent the participants' dialogues are subject based, or of a more general social character.…”

Social Presence, Social Interaction, Collaborative Learning, and Satisfaction in Online and Face-to-Face Courses

“…The online discussion forum allows students to work together on projects in small groups, participate in on-going discussions focused on course content, and to "present" group project products to the remainder of the class (Markel, 2001). Studies have discussed and linked online collaborations through group discussions with better opportunities to promote quantity and quality of student interaction, engagement, satisfaction, and higher-order learning (Hiltz, Coppola, Rotter, & Turoff, 2000;Garrison et al, 2001). …”

A Habermasian perspective on joint meaning making online: What does it offer and what are the difficulties?

“…To his critics Habermas was envisaging an almost endless revisiting of the conditions for consensus that had little appeal in practical contexts. It is, therefore no surprise that, say, Garrison, Anderson & Archer (2001) aligned their community of inquiry model with Dewey rather than Habermas. For while Dewey and Habermas both held largely 'pragmatic' positions on knowledge building and consensus, and both drew on the earlier work of Peirce, Dewey offered a more action oriented approach, though note not one based on trial and error (Dewey, 1922(Dewey, [2007:190).…”