Online Communities of Inquiry in Higher Education

Abstract

The primary purpose of this chapter is to explore how online communities of inquiry can be developed to facilitate students to engage in reflective practice. The discussion begins with a critical review of the literature, examining the role of educational technology within higher education and the need to develop pedagogical frameworks for its use in practice. An overview of an action research study is presented that used communities of inquiry to facilitate registered nurses to critically reflect on clinical practice. The preliminary findings from focus group interviews indicate that learners viewed their participation in online communities of inquiry as a beneficial aid to reflection. The chapter concludes with recommendations for practice and for further research in the area of online communities of inquiry.

Using Structured Teams to Develop Social Presence in Asynchronous Chemistry Courses

“…With a team structure in place, course design needed to support a COI. Salmon’s five-stage model for online learning, described in Table , is a useful framework to describe the structure of activities . Activities early in the quarter focused on access and motivation, socialization, and information exchange.…”

“…Salmon's five-stage model for online learning, described in Table 2, is a useful framework to describe the structure of activities. 10 Activities early in the quarter focused on access and motivation, socialization, and information exchange. After 2 weeks, students moved through stages 1−3…”

“…8,9 Social interactions are also important to develop a community of inquiry (COI); using social, cognitive, and teaching presences to create a safe learning environment. 10 Cognitive presence, the extent to which participants are able to construct meaning through sustained communication, can be obtained through inquiry: triggering event, exploration, integration, and resolution. Teaching presence, facilitated through teacher−student or student−student interactions, provides the structure and process for meaningful learning.…”