BASED ON PAPER TO BE PUBLISHED IN HCT ELEARNING JOURNAL 2013

PAUL LESLIE

SHARJAH WOMEN’S COLLEGE2013

Communities of Inquiry and Assessment:

Graded Discussions

Abstract

As the use of digital /blended learning increases, social media tools such as discussion boards may become increasingly relevant.

The community of inquiry model (Garrison, Anderson & Archer, 2000) suggests that three ‘presences’ are required in any group interaction.

Discussion board analysis attempts to correlate experience with the community of inquiry model with the quality of discussion board interactions.

Can the quality of the exchanges be improved through familiarity with the model?

Theoretical Background

70% of students report that they learn best in a blended environments (Dahlstrom, 2012, p. 7).

Social media provides students with a wider audience The public nature of online discussion boards

encourages everyone to push themselves further. Students find meaning for their ideas in the responses

they receive from others (Gergen K. , 2011, p. 366). Communities of inquiry are supported by the “desire

for students to express themselves socially and attract attention to themselves” (Leslie & Murphy, 2008, Implications).

Community of Inquiry

Interactive Diagram(Garrison, Anderson & Archer, 2000)

Table 1: Operational Definitions of the Presences (Akyol & Garrison, 2008)

Table 1Operational Definitions of the Presences (Akyol & Garrison, 2008)

ELEMENTS CATEGORIESINDICATORS

(examples only)

Social Presence

Open CommunicationGroup Cohesion

Personal/Affective

Learning Climate/Risk-Free ExpressionGroup Identity/Collaboration

Self Projection/Expressing Emotions

Cognitive Presence

Triggering EventExplorationIntegrationResolution

Sense of PuzzlementInformation Exchange

Connecting IdeasApplying New Ideas

Teaching Presence

Design & OrganizationFacilitating Discourse

Direct Instruction

Setting Curriculum & MethodsShaping Constructive ExchangeFocusing and Resolving Issues

Table 2: Data collection chart

Table 2: Data collection chart

    Discussion boards in order of student familiarity

    First year cohort First year cohort Third year cohort

  Total Posts 256 257 180

  Participants 28 26 17

  Average responses per student 9.1 9.9 10.6

Instances of

Presence

Social presence 241 321 170

Cognitive presence 163 247 216

Teaching presence 26 80 141

  Total instances of presence 430 648 527

  Average instances of presence per post 1.7 2.5 2.9

Table 3: Instances of presence

    Discussion boards in order of student familiarity

   1

First year cohort 2

First year cohort 3

Third year cohort

Social presence

  Instances 241 321 170

  % 56 50 32

Cognitive presence

  Instances 163 247 216

  % 38 38 41

Teaching presence

Instances 26 80 141

% 6 12 27

Significant Finding

Experience and exposure resulted in increased teaching presence. Cognitive presence increased slightly but content contained

prolonged exchanges “For example, when young students register in any social media like Facebook

or twitter they will not care what nickname to put or what personal information to appear, as in adult students will think hundred times about their nickname and be very discreet to show his real name or write their personal information including their pictures . “

She was then questioned extensively on the subject by her peers.

In subsequent exchanges, she offered increased teaching presence, thus including more students in this issue, and so producing a more informed body of knowledge: “Amal do you prefere to put your real name and personal inforamtion in social

media? and why (sic)?”

References

Resources and References

Akyol, Z., & Garrison, D. (2008, December). The development of a community of inquiry over time in an online course: understanding the progression and integration of social, cognitive and teaching presence. Journal of Asynchronous Learning Networks, 12(3-4), 3-22. Retrieved January 6, 2013, from http://search.ebscohost.com.ezproxy.hct.ac.ae/login.aspx?direct=true&db=ehh&AN=36559412&site=ehost-live

Dahlstrom, E. (2012). ECAR Study of Undergraduate Students and Information Technology. Louisville: Educause Center for Applied Research. Retrieved November 12, 2012, from http://net.educause.edu/ir/library/pdf/ERS1208/ERS1208.pdf

Garrison, D. R., Anderson, T., & Archer, W. (2000). Critical Inquiry in a Text-Based Environment: Computer Conferencing in Higher Education. The Internet and Higher Education, 2(2-3), 87-105. Retrieved September 1, 2012, from http://communitiesofinquiry.com/sites/communityofinquiry.com/files/Critical_Inquiry_model.pdf

Gergen, K. (2011). Relation Being: A Brief Introduction. Journal of Constructivist Psychology, 24(4), 280-282. Retrieved August 29, 2012, from http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/10720537.2011.593453

Leslie, P., & Murphy, E. (2008, October). Post-Secondary Students’ Purposes for Blogging. The International Review of Research in Open and Distance Learning, 9(3). Retrieved February 8, 2012, from http://www.irrodl.org/index.php/irrodl/article/view/560/1099