RaceRocks makes technology-enabled learning environments primarily for military applications. My teams are responsible for designing and developing curriculum as well as digital learning products and environments for our clients. We create this curriculum and these learning products but we do not deliver these learning experiences. As such, our designers face a unique challenge designing for facilitation that they will not be present to conduct.
Most of the curriculum we design is geared towards military personnel and most recently at junior rank naval trades. Many of the students in these programs are new to the armed forces and have a mixed educational background. They join with a developed sense of self and understanding of their abilities and outlooks by which they see the world. Before engaging in blended content developed by RaceRocks students would have completed basic training and some introductory courseware regarding their role in the services.
The Community of Inquiry (CoI) model is a worthwhile way to provide an educational experience, through the integration of three essential elements; cognitive presence, social presence, and teaching presence (Garrison, Anderson, & Archer, 2000, p.88).
Cognitive presence is giving the opportunity for the learners to incorporate the material. This is accomplished through the understanding and validating of new information, this can also be known as “valve control” (Bull, 2013). Cognitive presence gives instructors the ability to focus learners attention on specific learning outcomes.
The social presence element is based on building a strong environment for learners to feel welcomed, reached, heard, and a part of something. Bull refers to these roles as being “a party host” or a “social butterfly”(Bull, 2013). These roles ring true for military instructors as well, in order to provide instruction and facilitate an online course, they need to be able to reach and engage learners.
Teaching presence is the ability “to design and integrate the cognitive and social elements for educational purposes” (Garrison, Anderson, & Archer, 2000, p.92). This element considers the design, facilitation, and support provided to learners. When considering Bull’s Eight Roles of an Effective Teacher, the roles of “Learning Coach”, “Tour Guide” and “Mirror” stand out for our application as the facilitators is usually a military instructor, letting the students relate to the presence and capability of the instructor (Bull, 2013).
The components of CoI help the blended learning environment we create are effective for fostering community for our clients and there learners.
References:
Bull, B. (2013). Eight Roles of an Effective Online Teacher. Faculty Focus.
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), 87–105. https://doi.org/10.1016/S1096-7516(00)00016-6
Vaughan, N., Cleveland-James, M., & Garrison, D. R. (2013). Teaching in Blended Learning Environments—Creating and Sustaining Communities of Inquiry. AU Press, Athabasca University. http://www.irrodl.org/index.php/irrodl/article/view/751
Weller, M. (2020). 25 Years of Ed Tech. Athabasca University Press. https://doi.org/10.15215/aupress/9781771993050.01