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Critical Inquiry in a Text-Based Environment: Computer Conferencing in Higher Education

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Abstract

The purpose of this study is to provide conceptual order and a tool for the use of computer-mediated communication (CMC) and computer conferencing in supporting an educational experience. Central to the study introduced here is a model of community inquiry that constitutes three elements essential to an educational transaction—cognitive presence, social presence, and teaching presence. Indicators (key words/phrases) for each of the three elements emerged from the analysis of computer-conferencing transcripts. The indicators described represent a template or tool for researchers to analyze written transcripts, as well as a guide to educators for the optimal use of computer conferencing as a medium to facilitate an educational transaction. This research would suggest that computer conferencing has considerable potential to create a community of inquiry for educational purposes.

Section snippets

Oral and Text-Based Communication

Traditionally, educational interactions have been based upon oral communications between and among teachers and learners. Oral communication tends to be fast-paced, spontaneous, fleeting, and less structured than text-based communication. Notwithstanding what might be considered less-than-ideal characteristics for disciplined and rigorous thinking, experience has shown that oral critical discourse can facilitate critical thinking—at least in well-moderated small seminar groups. Moreover, oral

A Conceptual Framework

Taking for granted that spoken and written language may have different effects on thinking, it is important to understand the characteristics of written communication that support critical discourse and a worthwhile educational experience. As noted previously, an analysis of the nature and characteristics of spoken and written communication seems to favor, or at least support, the use of written communication for higher-order thinking. However, there is only a limited amount of empirical

Cognitive Presence

The extent to which cognitive presence is created and sustained in a community of inquiry is partly dependent upon how communication is restricted or encouraged by the medium. There have been few empirical studies on the use of asynchronous, text-based collaborative communication to facilitate deep and meaningful learning in higher education. Among these few, noteworthy is the study done by Newman, Johnson, Cochrane, and Webb (1996), who studied deep and surface approaches to learning and

Social Presence

Given the reliance of computer conferencing on the written word, the establishment of a community of inquiry can be problematic with regard to establishing social presence. We define social presence as 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 being used. Unlike earlier communications theorists Daft & Lengel, 1986, Short et al., 1976, Sproull &

Teaching Presence

The binding element in creating a community of inquiry for educational purposes is that of teaching presence. Appropriate cognitive and social presence, and ultimately, the establishment of a critical community of inquiry, is dependent upon the presence of a teacher. This is particularly true if computer conferencing is the primary means of communication for an educational experience. In fact, when education based on computer conferencing fails, it is usually because there has not been

A Template

Researchers are challenged to identify and assess, in the transcripts of computer conferences used for educational purposes, indications of meaningful educational activities in this environment. To meet this challenge, researchers require reliable tools (i.e., coding instruments) to analyze written transcripts. In an attempt to contribute to the available stock of reliable tools, we have applied the community of inquiry model to the development of a template for the analysis of computer

Conclusion

This research project was situated in the practice of university graduate-level programs. The first phase of this comprehensive study was a thorough review of the communications and distance education literature focusing on issues of text-based communication. From this review, a conceptual framework and model of a community of inquiry was generated. The model included three core elements for an educational experience. Next, each of the elements was analyzed and described in terms of their

Acknowledgements

This study is supported in part by a grant from the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada. The authors also wish to acknowledge the contribution of Liam Rourke, our research assistant, for his insightful comments with regard to the descriptors of cognitive, social, and teaching presence.

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