There are several theoretical frameworks that I am considering for my research, but one that I am particularly interested in is the Community of Inquiry framework (CoI). My understanding of CoI, developed by Garrison, Anderson, and Archer (1999), is that an educational experience is impacted by three key, overlapping factors: cognitive presence, social presence, and teacher presence. Cognitive presence is the participants’ ability to communicate to construct meaning. Social presence is the participants ability to share who they are personally, thereby supporting cognitive presence. Teacher presence involves the design and facilitation of the learning experience, supporting both social and cognitive presence.
My research will focus on the development of core competencies (CCs), similar to soft skills, in the British Columbia (BC) Kindergarten to Grade Twelve (K-12) Provincial Online Learning School (POLS) sector. I hope that the three presences represented in CoI will provide a helpful lens to look at how core competency development might be impacted by the use of e-portfolios in this context.
Some questions I have about this framework include the following:
- How can each of the CoI presences be effectively developed and supported in BC K-12 POLS?
- How does CoI relate to engagement theory?
- How do the CoI presences relate to CCs and First Peoples Perspectives of Learning?
References
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
Government of B.C. Core Competencies | Building Student Success—B.C. Curriculum. (n.d.). Retrieved November 23, 2022, from https://curriculum.gov.bc.ca/competencies
Hi Alisha,
I have to admit that I am very fond of the CoI framework and was very excited to see that you are considering it for framing your ARP work! The CoI framework guided all of the work we did around facilitation in our course activities for LRNT 528 and given my experiences, it is a worthwhile and thought-provoking lens through which to view your research. The three presences of the model can be powerful allies in designing and facilitating deep and meaningful experiences for learners. I will share the info below for a reading that I found particularly impactful.
Amber
Vaughan, N. D., Cleveland-Innes, M., & Garrison, D. R. (2013). Chapter 3: Facilitation. In Teaching in blended learning environments: Creating and sustaining communities of inquiry (pp. 45-61). Athabasca University Press. https://read.aupress.ca/read/teaching-in-blended-learning-environments/section/43261c4a-6d4c-44cf-8c7f-60bc306eb03a
Thanks for this, Amber!
I agree that CoI feels like a familiar friend. The deciding factor for my selection was Bev’s advice to choose a theory we could explain very simply. I also feel that CoI offers a fair number of distinct “lenses” for me to examine my research.
Oops, typo here – meant Deb!
Alisha, I love that you’ve noted e-portfolios here! I’m really looking forward to seeing how this comes together for you.
For your third bullet, I’m curious about how you will structure your literature review, given the underrepresentation of first nations academics in the literature. I’m also looking at how I can incorporate indigenous ways of knowing, but am struggling with how to make sure it’s represented adequately.
Hi Corie,
Excellent and insightful question! I am actually going to reach out to Bev about this as I am struggling to find a lot on Indigenous perspectives at this time. I may ultimately opt to focus on soft skills and e-portfolios, if necessary.
I will keep you posted on what I discover as the process continues.
Thanks!