Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Social Construction of Knowledge and the Community of Inquiry Framework

  • Chapter
  • First Online:
Open and Distance Education Theory Revisited

Part of the book series: SpringerBriefs in Education ((BRIEFSODE))

Abstract

The Community of Inquiry (CoI) framework is a social constructivist model of learning processes in online educational environments. It views learning in such settings as supported by three interacting presences: cognitive presence, the extent to which learners are able to construct and confirm meaning in a virtual community of inquiry; social presence, the ability of participants in an online class to project themselves socially and emotionally and correspondingly to perceive each other as “real”; and teaching presence, the design and organization of online classes and the facilitation of learning and direct instruction within them. The presences are commonly measured through content analysis and the use of the CoI survey and the framework has been used around the world to inform both research and practice.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this chapter

Log in via an institution
Chapter
USD 29.95
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
eBook
USD 54.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as EPUB and PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
Softcover Book
USD 69.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Compact, lightweight edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Purchases are for personal use only

Institutional subscriptions

References

  • Akyol, Z., & Garrison, D. R. (2008). The development of a community of inquiry over time in an online course: Understanding the progression and integration of social, cognitive and teaching presence. Journal of Asynchronous Learning Networks, 12(3–4), 3–22.

    Google Scholar 

  • Arbaugh, B., Bangert, A., & Cleveland-Innes, M. (2010). Subject matter effects and the community of inquiry framework. The Internet and Higher Education, 13(1–2), 37–44.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Arbaugh, J. B., Cleveland-Innes, M., Diaz, S., Garrison, D. R., Ice, P., Richardson, J. C., et al. (2008). Developing a community of inquiry instrument: Testing a measure of the community of inquiry framework using a multi-institutional sample. The Internet and Higher Education, 11, 133–136.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Breivik, J. (2016). Critical thinking in online educational discussions measured as progress through inquiry phases: A discussion of the cognitive presence construct in the community of inquiry framework. International Journal of e-Learning & Distance Education, 32(1). Retrieved from www.ijede.ca/index.php/jde/article/view/970/1618.

  • Cleveland-Innes, M., & Campbell, P. (2012). Emotional presence, learning, and the online learning environment. International Review of Research on Open and Distance Learning, 13(4). Retrieved from http://www.irrodl.org/index.php/irrodl/article/view/1234/2333.

  • Dewey, J. (1933). How we think (Rev ed.). Boston, MA: D. C. Heath.

    Google Scholar 

  • Dewey, J. (1938). Experience and education. New York, NY: MacMillan.

    Google Scholar 

  • Garrison, D. R. (2016). Thinking collaboratively: Learning in a community of inquiry. New York, NY: Routledge.

    Google Scholar 

  • Garrison, D. R., & Anderson, T. (2003). E-Learning in the 21st century: A framework for research and practice. London: Routledge/Falmer.

    Google Scholar 

  • 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, 87–105.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Garrison, D. R., Anderson, T., & Archer, W. (2001). Critical thinking, cognitive presence and computer conferencing in distance education. American Journal of Distance Education, 15(1), 7–23.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Garrison, D. R., & Arbaugh, J. B. (2007). Researching the community of inquiry framework: Review, issues, and future directions. Internet and Higher Education, 10(3), 157–172.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Garrison, D. R., Cleveland-Innes, M., & Fung, T. (2010). Exploring causal relationships among cognitive, social and teaching presence: Student perceptions of the community of inquiry framework. The Internet and Higher Education, 13(1–2), 31–36.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Gunawardena, C. N. (1995). Social presence theory and implications for interaction and collaborative learning in computer conferences. International Journal of Educational Telecommunications, 1(2–3), 147–166.

    Google Scholar 

  • Ice, P., Layne, M., & Boston, W. (2017). Social presence and student success: Retention, satisfaction, and evolving expectations. In A. L. Whiteside, A. Garrett Dikkers, & K. Swan (Eds.), Social presence in online learning: Multiple perspectives on practice and research (pp. 77–85). Sterling, VA: Stylus.

    Google Scholar 

  • Ke, F. (2010). Examining online teaching, cognitive, and social presence for adult students. Computers & Education, 55, 808–820.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kozan, K. (2016). A comparative structural equation modeling investigation of the relationships among teaching, cognitive and social presence. Online Learning, 20(3), 210–227.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kozan, K., & Richardson, J. C. (2014). New exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis insights into the community of inquiry survey. Internet and Higher Education, 23, 39–47.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Lowenthal, P., & Mulder, D. (2017). Social presence and communication technologies: Tales of trial and error. In A. L. Whiteside, A. Garrett Dikkers, & K. Swan (Eds.), Social presence in online learning: Multiple perspectives on practice and research (pp. 32–44). Sterling, VA: Stylus.

    Google Scholar 

  • Lowenthal, P. R., & Snelson, C. (2017). In search of a better understanding of social presence: An investigation into how researchers define social presence. Distance Education, 38(2), 141–159.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ma, Z., Wang, J., Wang, Q., Kong, L., Wu, Y., & Yang, H. (2016). Verifying causal relationships among the presences of the community of inquiry framework in the Chinese context. International Review of Research in Open and Distributed Learning, 18(6), 213–230.

    Google Scholar 

  • Maddrell, J. A., Morrison, G. R., & Watson, G. S. (2017). Presence and leaning in a community of inquiry. Distance Education, 38(2), 245–258.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Richardson, J. C., & Lowenthal, P. (2017). Instructor social presence: Learners’ needs and a neglected component of the community of inquiry framework. In A. L. Whiteside, A. Garrett Dikkers, & K. Swan (Eds.), Social presence in online learning: Multiple perspectives on practice and research (pp. 86–98). Sterling, VA: Stylus.

    Google Scholar 

  • Richardson, J. C., & Swan, K. (2003). Examining social presence in online courses in relation to students’ perceived learning and satisfaction. Journal of Asynchronous Learning Networks, 7(1), 68–88.

    Google Scholar 

  • Shea, P., & Bidjerano, T. (2009). Community of inquiry as a theoretical framework to foster “epistemic engagement” and “cognitive presence” in online education. Computers & Education, 52(3), 543–553.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Shea, P., & Bidjerano, T. (2012). Learning presence as a moderator in the community of inquiry model. Computers & Education, 59(2), 316–326.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Shea, P., Li, C.-S., Swan, K., & Pickett, A. (2005). Developing learning community in online asynchronous college courses: The role of teaching presence. Journal of Asynchronous Learning Networks, 9(4), 59–82.

    Google Scholar 

  • Short, J., Williams, E., & Christie, B. (1976). The social psychology of telecommunications. Toronto: Wiley.

    Google Scholar 

  • Swan, K. (2003). Developing social presence in online discussions. In S. Naidu (Ed.), Learning and teaching with technology: Principles and practices (pp. 147–164). London, UK: Kogan Page.

    Google Scholar 

  • Swan, K., Day, S. L., Bogle, L. R., & Matthews, D. B. (2014). A collaborative, design-based approach to improving an online program. Internet and Higher Education, 21, 74–81.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Swan, K., Garrison, D. R., & Richardson, J. (2009). A constructivist approach to online learning: The community of inquiry framework. In C. R. Payne (Ed.), Information technology and constructivism in higher education: Progressive learning frameworks (pp. 43–57). Hershey, PA: IGI Global.

    Chapter  Google Scholar 

  • Swan, K., & Shih, L.-F. (2005). On the nature and development of social presence in online course discussions. Journal of Asynchronous Learning Networks, 9(3), 115–136.

    Google Scholar 

  • Vygotsky, L. S. (1978). Mind in society. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Yang, J. C., Quadir, B., Chen, N. S., & Miao, Q. (2016). Effects of online presence on learning performance in a blog-based online course. Internet and Higher Education, 30, 11–20.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Yu, T., & Richardson, J. C. (2015). Examining reliability and validity of a Korean version of the community of inquiry instrument using exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis. Internet and Higher Education, 25, 45–52.

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Educational Leadership, University of Illinois Springfield, Springfield, USA

    Karen Swan

Authors
  1. Karen Swan
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Karen Swan .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Education, International Christian University, Mitaka, Tokyo, Japan

    Insung Jung

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

Copyright information

© 2019 The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Nature Singapore Pte Ltd.

About this chapter

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this chapter

Swan, K. (2019). Social Construction of Knowledge and the Community of Inquiry Framework. In: Jung, I. (eds) Open and Distance Education Theory Revisited. SpringerBriefs in Education(). Springer, Singapore. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-13-7740-2_7

Download citation

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-13-7740-2_7

  • Published:

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Singapore

  • Print ISBN: 978-981-13-7739-6

  • Online ISBN: 978-981-13-7740-2

  • eBook Packages: EducationEducation (R0)

Publish with us

Policies and ethics

Search

Navigation