An educational Community of Inquiry (CoI) is a “group of individuals who collaboratively engage in purposeful critical discourse and reflection to construct personal meaning and confirm mutual understanding” (Lalonde, 2020, 0:12; as cited in Garrison & Arbaugh, 2007). This theoretical framework can be a scaffold for many learning environments, such as the aerospace control simulator training environment. Air traffic control, a sub-type within the aerospace control community of the Canadian Armed Forces is highly specialized and unique. Air traffic control training can be defined as a “dynamic training environment where controllers constantly receive a large volume of information from multiple sources to monitor changes in the environment, make decisions, and perform effective actions in a timely manner” (Xing and Manning, 2005, p. 1). Simulator training is multifaceted in characteristics and stressful for students to successfully complete. CoI principles may help to provide a learning environment where content and simulator experiences are not the only learning variables experienced by students. Vaughan, Cleveland-Innes, and Garrison (2013) would suggest it would not simply be blends of content with no learning experiences, but if applied effectively, applied CoI would bring effective facilitation “of both students and instructors, creating a climate, supporting discourse, and monitoring learning such that presence can emerge and inquiry occur” (p. 46). Below is an infographic (Figure 1.1) showing the potential strategies supporting CoI elements within an aerospace control simulator learning environment.

Figure 1.1 Infographic: Community of Inquiry framework as Basis for Aerospace Control Simulator Training

Within the three CoI elements, the aerospace control training community can provide a multifaceted and collaborative training environment. In terms of social presence, post-simulation de-briefs can provide active communication from all students and each class can be provided with their own group chat network to foster continued communication and collaboration when face-to-face is not feasible. A Lessons learned program added to seek to engage the thinking of all students by learning through pre-set scenarios prior to simulation…this to help with students’ thinking outside the box whilst being able to effectively voice their thoughts and ideas. Pre- and Post- Q&A sessions included to enhance and assess students’ comprehension of material currently being presented. The Teaching presence can be enhanced through instructors explaining their own personal and past-failures, a notion to encourage intellectual risk-taking. The overall infographic presented above gives a reasonable representation of specific strategies that can be employed within the aerospace community. These ideas are supported by the CoI descriptions as noted above and can provide the addition of constructed personal meaning whilst confirming mutual understanding within this already multifaceted training environment.

Reference

Garrison, D., & Arbaugh, J.B. (2007). Researching the community of inquiry framework: Review issues and future directions. Internet of Higher Education, 10, 157-172. doi: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.iheduc.2007.04.001

Lalonde, C. (2020, August 22). Facilitation in a community of inquiry. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nv1bUZv5PLs&feature=youtu.be

Vaughan, N.D., Cleveland-Innes, M., & Garrison, D.R. (2013). Teaching in blended learning environments: Creating and sustaining communities of inquiry. Athabasca University Press. Retrieved from https://www.aupress.ca/books/120229-teaching-in-blended-learning-environments/

Xing, J., & Manning, C.A. (2005). Complexity and automation displays of air traffic control: Literature review and analysis (Report No. DOT/FAA/AM-05/4). Washington, DC: US Department of Transportation Federal Aviation Administration.