Design Excellence Begins with a Robust Course GPS
Location
Main Foyer
Start
1-16-2018 5:15 PM
End
1-16-2018 5:35 PM
Short Description
What truly drives excellent course design? How can we more clearly define what constitutes rigorous and engaging online experiences for students? Familiar checklists are readily available to design and evaluate courses. Yet, after these are documented, how can we map an informed “course drive” versus one full of roadblocks? Using the Community of Inquiry (CoI) framework as a GPS, we investigated how the CoI could inform the instructional design of courses in an online master’s program, which recently graduated its first student cohort.
Abstract
A fully online master’s program recently graduated its first student cohort, presenting the opportunity to apply the Community of Inquiry (CoI) framework to the courses. As institutions continue to expand their online learning programs, it becomes increasingly important to identify research-based strategies to support their design. Numerous professional organizations provide guidance to institutions to direct the mechanics of online delivery; however, the explicit use of CoI may extend the understanding of these tools.
The Community of Inquiry (CoI) framework (Garrison, Anderson, Archer, 2000), a seminal work, is a prominent model for the development and evaluation of online courses and programs. The research continues to suggest that by cultivating the three presences of CoI (social, cognitive, and teaching presences) and using them as a lens to design and evaluate programs, a high degree of student satisfaction, retention, and self-reported learning may result (Akyol & Garrison, 2008; Kumar, Dawson, Black, Cavanaugh, & Sessums, 2011; Meyer, Bruwelheide, & Poulin, 2009).
The questions that directed this project originated from an interest to determine how the CoI might be reflected in the courses, how technological affordances were leveraged, and how the CoI could inform the instructional design of the course activities. Findings from this project suggest that the courses did reflect the CoI framework. Recommendations are presented which further leverage affordances and may better reflect the strengths of the CoI framework in course design.
Format
Poster Session
Institutional level targeted
Higher Ed
Moderator
Maureen McDermott, NSU
Design Excellence Begins with a Robust Course GPS
Main Foyer
A fully online master’s program recently graduated its first student cohort, presenting the opportunity to apply the Community of Inquiry (CoI) framework to the courses. As institutions continue to expand their online learning programs, it becomes increasingly important to identify research-based strategies to support their design. Numerous professional organizations provide guidance to institutions to direct the mechanics of online delivery; however, the explicit use of CoI may extend the understanding of these tools.
The Community of Inquiry (CoI) framework (Garrison, Anderson, Archer, 2000), a seminal work, is a prominent model for the development and evaluation of online courses and programs. The research continues to suggest that by cultivating the three presences of CoI (social, cognitive, and teaching presences) and using them as a lens to design and evaluate programs, a high degree of student satisfaction, retention, and self-reported learning may result (Akyol & Garrison, 2008; Kumar, Dawson, Black, Cavanaugh, & Sessums, 2011; Meyer, Bruwelheide, & Poulin, 2009).
The questions that directed this project originated from an interest to determine how the CoI might be reflected in the courses, how technological affordances were leveraged, and how the CoI could inform the instructional design of the course activities. Findings from this project suggest that the courses did reflect the CoI framework. Recommendations are presented which further leverage affordances and may better reflect the strengths of the CoI framework in course design.