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Introduction to the community of inquiry framework and applications for programatic improvement
Last modified: 2010-08-17
Abstract
The Community of Inquiry (CoI) framework developed by Garrison, Anderson and Archer (2000) provides a theoretical model of online learning processes that has been used by many scholars and practitioners in the field of online education. The CoI framework is a constructivist process model which assumes that effective online learning requires the development of community, and so views learning in online environments as a function of the interactions of three elements: social presence, cognitive presence, and teaching presence. Although it was originally developed as the conceptual foundation for content analyses of online discussion, researchers with an interest in the model have developed survey instruments based on CoI content indicators, and most recently several researchers have joined together to create and validate a common CoI survey that measures student perceptions of the three presences across classes and institutions (Arbaugh, Cleveland-Innes, Diaz, Garrison, D. R., Ice, Richardson, Shea, & Swan, 2008). This instrument can be applied at various levels within the institution to assess the efficacy of instructional design, faculty training and integration of new technologies. The process encompasses a broad range of analysis across Schools, Programs, Courses, and Instructors. Additionally survey data can be used to assess the efficacy of Instructional Design trends, Technology implementations, and Retention patterns.
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