Preservice Teacher Perceptions of Using Video Discussions to Foster a Community of Inquiry—Does the Learning Environment Matter?

Abstract

The creation of an engaging online learning environment where students feel a sense of belonging is a challenge for all educators. With the rise of online courses, discussion forums are commonly used to connect students with course content, peers, and instructors. However, these discussions are often text-based in nature. The purpose of this quantitative study examined preservice teacher perceptions of Flipgrid in an introductory educational technology course. Statistically significant relationships between groups were found related to two of the three components of the Community of Inquiry framework. Specifically, the findings suggest those enrolled in a hybrid course perceived Flipgrid as a more effective platform to create cognitive and teaching presence than those online. Additionally, hybrid learners were significantly more likely to use Flipgrid in their own teaching practices. In this article, an analysis of findings will be discussed and provide suggestions for future research.