Garrison and Anderson's (2003) Community of Inquiry model provides a useful means of describing different aspects of the tutor role. This considers different elements of a successful environment for learning online and outlines the different functions that a tutor needs to fulfil to create the conditions in which such an environment can develop.

An overview of the model is provided below as an interactive diagram (google slides presentation) and you can also access the information contained within the diagram in full by clicking on the link below. We will draw on and refer to some of these ideas throughout the resource and you can revisit this page for contextual information.

Learn more about the model now, before carrying out the reflective activity below.

Click to view slide contents in full

Garrison and Anderson’s (2003) model for online /distance learning focuses on reflection, communication and group collaboration.
It considers three key elements which make up a successful educational environment: Cognitive presence, social presence and teaching presence. At the intersection between cognitive presence and social presence, the tutor supports discourse for learning; between social presence and teaching presence, they set the climate for learning; and between cognitive presence and teaching presence, they provide input to mediate the course content. The tutor role is central.

Below you will find further information about each of these elements. This information includes ‘success indicators’ drawn from the Community of Inquiry survey which is a research and evaluation tool designed to allow tutors and teams to assess the extent to which different elements are present in the educational environment. These give an overview of what is involved in promoting cognitive, social and teaching presence from the student perspective and an insight into the types of activities a tutor would need to take to promote these aspects.

Garrison, D.R. and Anderson, T. (2003). E-learning in the 21^st Century – A framework for research and practice. Oxford: Routledge.

Cognitive presence

‘...the extent to which learners are able to construct and confirm meaning through sustained reflection and discourse’ (Garrison and Anderson, 2003, p.66).

Learning through reflection, discussion and application of knowledge. High degree of learner autonomy. Text-based discussion boards likely to have advantages for promoting ‘higher-order’ reflection and dialogue.

Cognitive presence is conceived of the extent to which the learning environment allows students to work through the stages of the ‘practical inquiry model’ of learning which sees learning as a cyclical process of individual reflection and group discussion leading to application and further refinement of ideas.

Practical inquiry model

This model presents learning as a cyclical process with four stages: a triggering event, exploration, integration and resolution leading to further triggering events.

Each of these aspects is described below, along with the questions from the Community of Inquiry survey which relate to each.

Triggering event

Recognise problem or gap. Triggers puzzlement and motivation to explore and learn.

A 'spark' stimulates learning ( Wikimedia commons: Funkturm Arsenal Blitze)

If this element is working well, at the end of the course students would respond positively to the following:

Problems posed increased my interest in course issues.
Course activities piqued my curiosity.
I felt motivated to explore content-related questions.

Exploration

Express ideas, uncover differences, make suggestions.

Individuals look in different directions for solutions, consider existing knowledge and theories and how they might apply to the problem ( Wikimedia commons: White-cheeked Starlings)

If this element is working well, at the end of the course students would respond positively to the following:

I utilized a variety of information sources to explore problems posed in this course.
Brainstorming and finding relevant information helped me resolve content related questions.
Online discussions were valuable in helping me appreciate different perspectives.

Integration

Individual conceptions are discussed, considered, explored and tested in group discussion.

Bringing it together ( Wikimedia commons: Plasma globe)

If this element is working well, at the end of the course students would respond positively to the following:

Combining new information helped me answer questions raised in course activities.
Learning activities helped me construct explanations / solutions.
Reflection on course content and discussions helped me understand fundamental concepts.

Resolution

Solutions or conclusions are applied and tested in 'real world' experience which in turn may trigger a recognition of further need for learning.

Testing solutions ( Wikimedia commons: Aircraft Rescue)

If this element is working well, at the end of the course students would respond positively to the following:

I can describe ways to test and apply the knowledge created in this course.
I have developed solutions to course problems that can be applied in practice.
I can apply the knowledge created in this course to my work or other non-course related activities.

Social presence

‘The ability of participants in a community of inquiry to project themselves socially and emotionally as ‘real’ people (i.e. their full personality), through the medium of communication’. (Garrison and Anderson, 2003, p.28).

This reflects the importance of need to make public, share and test individual ideas in the Community of Inquiry framework and recognises that community building will be needed to develop an environment in which participants trust each other enough to challenge, test and stretch.

There are three key elements:

Affective expression
Open communication
Group cohesion

The ‘success indicators’ from the Community of Inquiry survey for each of these aspects of social presence are as follows:

Affective expression

Impressions of an individual ( Wikimedia commons: Kopfstudie_eines_Japanmakaken)

If this element is working well, at the end of the course students would respond positively to the following:

Getting to know other course participants gave me a sense of belonging in the course.
I was able to form distinct impressions of some course participants.
Online or web-based communication is an excellent medium for social interaction.

Group cohesion

Making progress together ( Wikimedia commons: Loxodonta_africana)

If this element is working well, at the end of the course students would respond positively to the following:

Getting to know other course participants gave me a sense of belonging in the course.
I was able to form distinct impressions of some course participants.
Online or web-based communication is an excellent medium for social interaction.

Open communication

An open welcoming place to talk and share a view ( Wikimedia commons: Windsor Hotel Toya Resort)

If this element is working well, at the end of the course students would respond positively to the following:

I felt comfortable conversing through the online medium.
I felt comfortable participating in the course discussions.
I felt comfortable interacting with other course participants.

Teaching presence

‘...what the teacher does to create a community of inquiry that includes both cognitive and social presence… the actual functions that a teacher must perform to create and maintain a dynamic learning environment’ (Garrison and Anderson, 2003, p.66).

The tutor actively needs to ‘bring together’ different elements of the learning environment to support students, guide them through tasks, and focus them onto the learning outcomes and towards success in assessment. Three key aspects are identified:

Design and organisation
Facilitating discourse
Direct instruction

Click below if you would like an overview of each aspect, along with the ‘success indicators’ from the Community of Inquiry survey related to each.

Design and organisation

Planning and organising the 'journey' through the module, introducing and 'mediating' the tasks and the content, whilst bearing in mind that students might not have experienced learning asynchronously online before and that there may be a need to provide activities that help them to develop the skills to do this effectively.

Organising and presenting the course content and activities ( Wikimedia commons: Municipal market)

Success indicators

The instructor clearly communicated important course topics.
The instructor clearly communicated important course goals.
The instructor provided clear instructions on how to participate in course learning activities.
The instructor clearly communicated important due dates/time frames for learning activities.

Facilitating discourse

Establishing and sustaining the 'learning community by getting the balance right between too little and too much intervention in the discussion board to encourage student-focused and self-sustaining interactions whilst shaping and focusing the discussion onto the learning outcomes and dealing with participants who may either be dominating discussions or reluctant to contribute. This is likely to require attention to pedagogic, interpersonal and organisational issues to, for example, create motivation, sustain commitment, build understanding and move the discussion on, and demonstrate effective and relevant postings to encourage appropriate contributions from participants.

A restrained presence in the discussions ( Wikimedia commons: Saskatchewan Farm)

Success indicators

The instructor was helpful in identifying areas of agreement and disagreement on course topics that helped me to learn.
The instructor was helpful in guiding the class towards understanding course topics in a way that helped me clarify my thinking.
The instructor helped to keep course participants engaged and participating in productive dialogue.
The instructor helped keep the course participants on task in a way that helped me to learn.
The instructor encouraged course participants to explore new concepts in this course.
Instructor actions reinforced the development of a sense of community among course participants.

Direct instruction

Utilising subject knowledge to guide students towards achievement of the learning outcomes through diagnosing and dealing with misconceptions, providing guidance and feedback, injecting knowledge and providing additional sources of information where required.

Success indicators

The instructor helped to focus discussion on relevant issues in a way that helped me to learn.
The instructor provided feedback that helped me understand my strengths and weaknesses relative to the course's goals and objectives.
The instructor provided feedback in a timely fashion.

Activity: your reflections on the Community of Inquiry framework

Considering your own experience as a tutor or a student, do you consider each aspect of the community of inquiry framework to be equally valuable and important. Are there any aspects that you feel fit less well with your discipline or with your existing ideas of the role of the tutor? Are there any aspects that you feel are missing from the framework?

Click here for our commentary

Your responses to this question may well link back to your initial reflections on the tutor role at the beginning of the unit. In providing a framework for describing how collaborative discussion-based learning communities are formed within courses, the framework has been highly influential both in researching distance learning in Higher Education and as a practical tool for tutors. It clearly places the emphasis on the tutor role as a 'guide on the side', facilitating the development of effective student communities within courses of study through discussion but also emphasises the importance of subject expertise in shaping this, and the need for tutors to take an active lead in developing learning and cognitive presence.

In terms of criticisms and 'gaps', Annand (2011) has questioned the need for social presence for learning which provides a critique on the assumptions of socio-constructivism. This, along with the response from Garrison (2012) provides useful further information on the framework and its theoretical underpinning for those interested in finding out more. Armellini and De Stefani (2016) have also focused on the need to reframe the concept of social presence, but have argued that this has become such an integrated aspect of effective learning environments and so intertwined with teaching and cognitive presence that it is no longer worthwhile to consider social presence as a separate concept. In their view, both have effectively 'become social'. Finally, Shea and Bidjerano (2010) have also proposed the need for a further dimension of 'learning presence' focusing on the students' self-efficacy, motivation and metacognitive skills to balance the more 'tutor-directed' focus of the model. Garrison and Anderson (2017) have responded to this with a reminder that the development of teaching presence (and indeed cognitive and social presence) should not be regarded as the exclusive responsibility of the tutor but of all participants in a community of inquiry. As such they feel that there should be no sense of sense of separation between ‘teaching’ presence and ‘learning’ presence. The tutor aims, over time, to encourage self-direction and shared responsibility for learning:

“The goal is always to have students assume more teaching presence and become increasingly responsible to construct meaning and confirm understanding.” (p.29)

This is revisited later in the resource.

References

Annand, D. (2011) Social presence within the community of inquiry framework. International Review of Research in Open and Distance Learning, 12, 5.
University of York Library Permalink

Armellini, A. and De Stefani, M. (2016) Social presence in the 21st century: An adjustment to the Community of Inquiry framework. British Journal of Educational Technology, 47, 6, 1202–1216.
University of York Library Permalink

Garrison, D.R. (2012) Article Review - Social Presence within the Community of Inquiry Framework. International Review of Research in Open and Distance Learning, 13, 1.
University of York Library Permalink

Garrison, D.R. and Anderson, T. (2017). E-learning in the 21st Century – A community of inquiry framework for research and practice (3rd edition). Oxford: Routledge.
University of York Permalink

Shea, P. and Bidjerano, T. (2010) Learning presence: Towards a theory of self-efficacy, self-regulation, and the development of a communities of inquiry in online and blended learning environments. Computers and Education, 55, 4, 1721-1731.
University of York Library Permalink

Stenbom, S. (2018) A systematic review of the Community of Inquiry survey. The internet and Higher Education. 39, 22-32.
University of York Library Permalink

Optional extension reading

If you would like to explore the community of inquiry model further, Anderson and Dron (2011) applies the framework to an analysis of different 'types' of Distance Learning'. You may find this useful not only in relating social, teaching and cognitive presence to the design of online programmes and the role of the tutor, but also as a clear and accessible introduction to the key pedagogical approaches to online learning.

Anderson, T and Dron, J (2011) Three generations of distance education pedagogy, International Review of Research in Open and Distance Learning, 12, 3.
University of York Library Permalink

Reference

Garrison, D.R. and Anderson, T. (2003). E-learning in the 21st Century – A framework for research and practice (1st edition). Oxford: Routledge.

What next?

The next page provides an opportunity to reflect on Unit 1.