In my current role, I work as an online instructor in creative and marketing diploma and certificate programs at a college. My students come from every corner of the globe (not because of my fame) and have wide ranging technical skill levels and educational experiences. This leads to a large amount of support being required to manage student inquiries regarding coursework and how to navigate online learning. While support is expected in the early stages of a program, I want my students to develop the self-efficacy they will require in the creative industry they aim to join upon graduation. Building a community of inquiry (CoI) can help move them in this direction by creating a space where they have the support of their fellow classmates, are challenged to dig deeper into the course material, while being under the watchful eye of a facilitator (from a distance, of course).

Not all my courses include synchronous class time, so I present ideas in my infographic that establish teaching, social, and cognitive presence without requiring live session. The teaching presence section recommends a strong course structure, explainer videos, and weekly recaps as a means of easing student stress upon entering a new course, guidance on what they’ll be doing, and reinforcing each week’s learning by leading them to explore further. Ideas in the social presence section get the class acquainted with the large group, grow closer in smaller groups, and provide a space for casual conversation to build a lasting community. Cognitive presence is then built by offering the learners a real-world problem that can trigger curiosity and exploration, leading to collaboration on ways to solve this problem, and culminating in individual solutions based on each student’s perspective and context.

The ideas presented in the infographic are not meant to be meet the needs of every facilitator. For those looking to create a community of inquiry within creative programs where synchronous class time is not always possible, these should provide a decent foundation that they can build off to suit their own needs.