Community of Inquiry

Module Three

Constructivism, OCL, and Community of Practice (CoP)

Constructivism argues “learner is the center of learning, with the instructor playing an advising and facilitating role. It is a situated learning – learning as contextual” (Ally, 2008, p. 30).

Learning is an active process and social activity.

Learning takes place in the mind of the learner.

Knowledge is constructed by personal interpretation and processing in a social setting.

Motivation is key to a successful learning process.

Constructivism is about discovering and constructing knowledge by the learners.

Constructivism is the foundation of online collaborative learning and community of practice because knowledge is constructed in a social setting through collaboration, cooperation, and reflection.

Knowledge is personal.

Online Collaborative Learning (OCL)

Definition according to Harasim (2012):

OCL theory provides a model of learning in which students are encouraged and supported to work together to create knowledge: to invent, to explore ways to innovate, and, by so doing, to seek the conceptual knowledge needed to solve problems rather than recite what they think is the right answer (Bates, 2019, para 1).

Discussion forum IS THE CORE component of the teaching.

The teacher serves as the link to the knowledge community.

“Learning is defined as conceptual change and is key to building knowledge” (Bates, 2019, para 1).

The goal of OCL – utilizing technology to increase and improve communication between teachers and students in a constructive manner – is knowledge construction that is developed in social settings (Bates, 2019).

Core design principles of OCL (Harasim, n.d.):

Idea generating – brainstorming to collect diverse thoughts from participants.
Idea organizing – participants compare, analyze, and categorize collected diverse thoughts through discussion.
Intellectual convergence – to reach consensus (including agreeing to disagree).

Online Discussion	Classroom Seminars
Topic discussion based – participants can follow multiple topics simultaneously	Oral
Asynchronous	Synchronous
Topic discussion based – participant can follow multiple topics simultaneously	Single topic discussion

Community of Inquiry (CoI)

Defined by Garrison, Anderson, and Archer (2000):

An educational community of inquiry is a group of individuals who collaboratively engage in purposeful critical discourse and reflection to construct personal meaning and confirm mutual understanding (Bates, 2019, para 8).

CoI core elements:

Social presence
Cognitive presence
Teaching presence

Developing meaningful online discussions

Core elements:

Appropriate technology
Clear guidelines for online behavior
Student orientation and preparation
Clear goals
Choice of appropriate topic
The setting of the appropriate tone of the discussion
Clear definition of student’s roles and expectations
Monitoring participation of students
Ongoing instructor presence
Strong articulation between discussion topic and assessment

Challenges in online discussions:

Cultural fluency of multicultural participants (social, cultural, and political differences)

Language delivery

Participants from different backgrounds have different expectations of teaching and learning.

Online Collaborative Learning (OCL)
Strengths	Weaknesses
OCL can lead to deep and transformative learning.	Requires highly knowledgeable and skilled teachers for a limited number of students
OCL can support the development of metacognition – critical thinking, analytical thinking, synthesis, and evaluation.	Best implemented for faculty of humanities, social sciences, education, business, and health.

Differences between OCL and CoP and PLNs
OCL	PLN	CoP
Serving individuals and others in the community	Personal-based	Community-based
Serving individual and group	Serving mainly individual focus	Serving individual and others in the community
		Educators as facilitators
		Educators as subject matter experts?
		Focus on social structures where the learning takes place
Multi-way communication	More of one-way communication?	Multi-way communication?

Harasim’s Theory of Online Collaborative Learning (OCL)

Collaborativism – Online Collaborative Learning Theory (OCL)

“Emphasizes the role of peer discourse as key to learning and defines learning as intellectual convergence, achieved through three progressive stages of group discourse: Idea Generating, Idea Organizing and Intellectual Convergence” (Harasim, n.d., para 5).

Harasim’s OCL theory (n.d.) emphasizes the three group discourses:

Idea generating – brainstorming, generating information, and sharing ideas on a particular topic.
Idea organizing – the beginning of conceptual idea; idea organizing between learners via agreement and disagreement discussions.
Intellectual convergence –sharing position.

Collaborativism, although built on constructivism, is different from it because “collaborativism emphasizes exploring and emphasizing the role of Lev Vygotsky’s discourse theory (Harashim, n.d.).

Koohang’s Models of Constructivism for E-learning

Koohang (2009) models of constructivism for e-learning:

The design of learning activities – collaboration, cooperation, real-world examples, scaffolding, self-reflection, multiple representations, and social negotiation.
Learning assessment – instructor assessment, collaborative assessment, and self-assessment.
Instructor’s roles – coaching, guiding, mentoring, acknowledging, providing feedback, and assessing student learning.

Personal Learning Networks (PLNs)

Sarah Prestridge, Categorizing teacher’s use of social media for their professional learning: A self-generating professional learning paradigm.

Internet and web-based technologies have made access and expansion of information sharing and acquisition at any time, self-generated and on-demand learning possible, resulting in a change of concept and applicability of professional development for teachers and other professionals (Prestridge, 2018).

Because of Online Collaborative Learning (OCL) process, professional development today focuses on:

an internalized goal-centric model of learning identified by terms such as ownership, conversation, deep understanding, and goal-directed activity that contrast with traditional models that represent compliance, transmission, rules, routines, and content coverage (Prestridge, 2018, p. 144).

Social media platforms – Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and more have become a more popular vehicle for professional learning compared to MOOCs, webinars, or formalized online events.

Sharing and networking activities.

Professional learning – more for professionals no teacher – self-directed based on individual’s need. Professional learning is “an informal” version of professional development.

Professional development – for teachers. Usually, regulatory body mandates the program, as a “top-down, school agenda-based, one-shot workshop that represents a one-size fits all approach” (Prestridge, 2018, p. 148)

Teacher professional networks – PLNs

“a system of interpersonal connections and resources that can be used for informal learning, collaboration, and exchange of knowledge and ideas” (Trust, 2012, qtd by Prestridge, 2018, p. 144).

PLNs use a professional learning community structure (which one OCL or CoI?) – emphasizing support, assessment, observation, and reflection.

PLNs are socially constructed, personalized, and active with a reciprocal relationship of helping one another that occurs at any time during and after the school day (this is a very nice support system!).

Pros of PLNs through social media:

Improve teaching practice and have a better understanding of the relevant content or pedagogy.

A medium for active learning process – asking questions, exchanging ideas, sharing resources, and reflecting.

To learn new innovative learning strategies.

Online PLNs are about “knowledge construction, knowledge sharing, the culture of collaboration, flexibility & accessibility, and building a community of professionals” (Prestridge, 2018, p. 145).

Personal Learning Networks
Social Media – Twitter	Blogs
Active learning process	Build instructional knowledge
	Personalized teaching portfolio
	Explore scholarly ideas
Knowledge actioning	Knowledge construction
Knowledge sharing	Knowledge sharing
Culture of collaboration – Participating in and contributing to the collective intelligence in social media, such as Twitter, yield professional and personal benefits.	Providing a virtual, personal space, and of forming online communities
Providing a virtual, personal space, and forming online communities
Flexibility & accessibility – anytime/anywhere learning, efficient, affordable, user friendly. Esp Twitter works best because of the short formatting and continuous streaming activity
Build a community of professionals – people orientation or content orientation community

A community of Practice (CoP) is a “group of people who share a concern or a passion for something they do and learn how to do it better as they interact regularly” (Wenger-Trayner and Wenger-Trayner, 2015, para 3).

A coP is “a key to improving performance” (Wenger-Trayner and Wenger-Trayner, 2015, para 1).

CoP term is coined by Jean Lave and Etienne Wenger.

A coP is implemented in organizations, government, education, professional associations, development projects, and civic life.

Where is CoP applied?

Organization – mainly adopted in business settings, providing a venue for collaboration and cooperation amongst individuals.
Government
Education – school and school district
Association
Social sector
International development
The web

Three (3) CoP characteristics:

The domain – a shared domain of interest. It involves membership with shared competencies (IMF has this CoP for CDMAP in my division).
The community – members engage in joint activities and discussions to help ea and share information.
The practice – a shared practice.

CoP other names: learning networks, thematic groups, or tech clubs.

The 21st-century learning framework, according to the Wengers, is the social learning theory.

Learning is a joint activity (collaborative, social interaction, and cooperation).

REFLECTION

When I think of constructivism, I think about (i) knowledge is constructed and constructed socially; (ii) learning is a continuous process (active); (iii) the learner is focused on learning; (iv) then, knowledge is personal; (v) learning takes place in learner’s mind; (vi) learner put meaning into the knowledge; and (vii) thus, learner’s motivation is key to a successful learning experience.

Jean Piaget, John Dewey, Lev Vygotsky, Maria Montessori, and von Glasersfeld are constructivism theorists.

Jean Piaget, with his cognitive constructivism, provides the four stages of the mental development of children. These four stages (sensorimotor, preoperational, concrete operational, and formal operational) serve as a foundation when altering materials or curricula based on the children’s mental stages. An example of real-life applications, I would say, is the kid’s development toys from infancy to eleven years old. Toys for infants to about two years old focus on the sensorimotor of the children.

Ally (2008) argues that a learner’s motivation is critical to the success of the learning process. I see this in a way as human agency. If a learner sees the importance of one’s commitment and conscientiousness towards learning, the learning process would likely result in positive outcomes.

Learners’ motivation-agency to have a successful learning outcome can exist intrinsically and extrinsically, I would argue. Though many argue that intrinsic motivation is regarded as higher than extrinsic motivation; however, I would argue that in online learning theory, extrinsic motivation is very significant to the success of the overall learning experience and outcome.

Extrinsic motivation, which is highly important to entice, encourage, maintain, and enhance learners’ engagement, can be implemented through various forms, such as timely and formative feedback, attractive learning design, learner-instructor interaction, and perhaps, acknowledgment-rewards upon completion of a learning process?

So, what and how do we implement constructivism in online learning and distance education?

According to Ally (2008), constructivism applications to distance education and e-learning are: (i) instructors serve as guides and facilitators; (ii) collaborative and cooperative learning, through group work and discussion, for example; (iii) reflection; (iv) interactive learning; (v) inquiry-based learning; (vi) problem-based learning; and (vii) cooperative learning (p.31).

Does interactive learning involve visual representations of learning materials? I mean, visual learning can be very helpful, as learners have a different style of learning. As for myself, visual learning can help map the learning material into my mind. We can probably use systems mapping for more complex materials. This mapping technique would help learners to organize all the information they acquire. This organizing phase is, as Harasim states in her Online Collaborative Learning theory, the idea organizing part.

In my OMDE 601 class, I had to map my systems thinking on my context, the elderly transgender community in Indonesia. A systems thinking map helps me tremendously to lay out my idea as a whole, by incorporating all pieces that are interconnected with each other to the overall goal, my context, the elderly transgender community. I believe that mapping ideas and information also help tremendously by maintaining and/or increasing information retention.

With a systems thinking map, I was able to view my context in a bigger picture, utilizing the interconnectedness and diversity of information. I was able to recognize the issue pertaining to my transgender community, which is gender inequality. This issue is the bigger picture part. Furthermore, in my systems thinking map, I included all stakeholders that are significant to the success of achieving gender equality for this transgender population in Jakarta, Indonesia.

In collaborative and cooperative learning, group work and discussion can be incorporated. As social constructivism emphasizes that learning takes place in a social setting, thus, collaboration and cooperation are significant to the success of a constructed learning process.

Collaboration and cooperation improve idea generating and organizing and intellectual convergence in Harasim’s OCL. Collaboration and cooperation demonstrate social, cognitive, and teaching (to a certain extent) presences. Collaboration and cooperation also demonstrate the community part in a CoP.

One of the few features I like in constructivism is the idea that learners put meaning into the knowledge. I would argue that each learner is a unique individual who brings unique experiences to the learning process; thus the personal meaning learners put into the knowledge is often related to their personal experiences or expectations.

For example, learners from a more diverse and well-rounded background would likely have diverse and broader perspectives as they are equipped with more lenses to view issues. I grew up in a developing country. I have lived and worked in different countries prior to the U.S. too. My background and experiences are what I bring to the classroom and incorporate into any topic discussion.

Another thing I like about constructivism is there can be more than one right answer. I sincerely believe that many things in life are not static. Life is not merely black and white. Often time, things are in the grey area, the truth is depending on what angle our perspective comes from. I never like too much this “either/ or” ideal (like behaviorism). Instead, I believe, most things in life can exist in parallel despite differences; thus, “and” seems more appropriate to my liking.

I try to socially construct my children’s understanding that we do not always have to choose A or B because things are also circumstantial. Just because we are in a position to choose, it does not eliminate the value of the unchosen one. I do not know if I am putting this in a sensible manner.

Constructivism is also a good theory because it can promote social and communication skills. Since knowledge is socially constructed, thus, it nurtures and develops social and communication skills, which are extremely useful for learners’ personal and professional development. Being in a social setting “forces” learners to speak up and convey their minds.

In my personal opinion, one of the most important benefits of collaborative and cooperative learning during school is to train ourselves to work collaboratively and cooperatively with other people. This is particularly important because it is an important quality to have in a professional setting. We have to be able to work with other people effectively and constructively. The ability to work alone and as a team would make us valuable team members. We are to be able to work with others not only when we agree but also when we disagree. This part is explicitly mentioned in Harashim’s OCL theory, for example.

The three applications of constructivism theory that I am interested in applying to my context, the girls and boys of Sumba Island, are reciprocal learning, inquiry-based learning, and storytelling. I am thinking to do reciprocal learning by pairing two learners to teach and learn from one another. For inquiry-based learning, I am thinking to form a small group of learners to pose and answer questions about topics such as patriarchal culture, bride kidnapping, gender empowerment, and gender equality. As for storytelling, I am thinking to encourage learners to create storytelling from their perspective on the topics above mentioned to see how they communicate their constructed version of the knowledge. I would argue that storytelling is also a form of reflection, in this case, the self-reflection of the learners.

References

Ally, M. (2008). Foundation of educational theory of online learning. In The theory and practice of online learning (pp. 15-44). Athabasca University Press. https://www.aupress.ca/app/uploads/120146_99Z_Anderson_2008-Theory_and_Practice_of_Online_Learning.pdf

Bates, A. W. (2019). Teaching in a Digital Age. Victoria, BC: BCcampus. Retrieved from https://opentextbc.ca/teachingindigitalage/

Harasim, L. (n.d.). OCL theory. Linda Harasim Blog. https://www.lindaharasim.com/online-collaborative-learning/ocl-theory/

Koohang, Riley & Smith. (2009). e-Learning and constructivism: From theory to application. Interdisciplinary Journal of E-Learning and Learning Objects, 5. http://www.stevekerby.com/omde_610/Readings/e-learning_and_constructivism_Koohang_Riley_Smith.pdf

Prestridge, S. (2019). Categorising teachers’ use of social media for their professional learning: A self-generating professional learning paradigm. Computers & Education, 129, 143-158. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.compedu.2018.11.003

Wenger-Treyner, E., & Wenger-Treyner, B. (2015). An introduction to communities of practice: A brief overview of the concept and its uses. Wenger-Trayner. https://wenger-trayner.com/introduction-to-communities-of-practice

Module One

Background and Foundations

Objectivism epistemology believes that facts, theories, and principles have already existed or will exist eventually (Bates, 2009).

Objectivist approaches to teaching, according to Bates (2009):

Knowledge is something that is pre-conditioned.

“A course must present a body of knowledge to be learned” (para. 2).

The content ought to be delivered effectively by instructors.

Instructors are granted big authority to create and compile well-structured content.

Students are expected to acquire and comprehend the knowledge as it is.

Students are expected to “find right answers and justify them” (para. 3).

Behaviorism theory argues that “learning is a change in observable behavior caused by external stimuli in the environment” (Ally, 2008, p. 19). The theory focuses on a quantitative measure of the learner’s learning process. Behaviorism stems from objectivism (Bates, 2009).

Behaviorists’ approaches to teaching, according to Bates (2009):

Reinforce the reward (carrot) and punishment (stick) style.

Provide feedback for correction purposes.

Multiple-choice testing style.

Measurable learning objectives.

Computer-assisted instruction.

Behaviorism implications to online learning as conveyed by Ally (2008):

A clear expectation of the overall learning process, content, and the outcome is stated early on.

The content must be well-structured and in sequence.

Students’ academic standing is measured by testing.

Feedback must be provided for monitoring and correction purposes.

Cognitivism “See learning as an internal process that involves memory, thinking, reflection, abstraction, motivation, and metacognition” (Ally, 2008, p. 21). For cognitivism, learners and their memory, consciousness, and emotion are active agents in a learning process.

Bloom’s taxonomies of learning objectives, which were later on modified by Anderson and Krathwol, are the most widely used taxonomies by cognitivism, as follows:

Cognitive
Affective (feeling)
Psychomotor (doing)
Creating (Bates, 2009, para. 4)

Cognitivism online learning approaches, according to Ally (2008):

Incorporate students’ different learning styles.

Due to a limited duration of memory; therefore, information is best to be transmitted in increments.

Encourage real-life cases in the assignments.

Present a material that is well-designed and aesthetically pleasing to create interests for the memory to acquire, process, and link the information with the existing one in order to make a connection.

Encourage learners to use their metacognitive skills (p. 29).

Constructivism asserts that the “learner is the center of learning, with the instructor playing an advising and facilitating role (Ally, 2008, p. 30). (Charles Wedemeyer, Michael Moore, and Borje Holmberg share the cognitivism/constructivism ideal when it comes to the focus on distance learning, a learner is the center of learning. Is it?)

Constructivism shares similarities with cognitivism when it comes to the learner as the center of the learning process. However, constructivism signifies the importance of human “consciousness, free will, and social influences” (Bates, 2009, para. 1).

(This is more like Charles Wedemeyer because he emphasizes the learner who makes a decision about what to learn, what the objectives are, and how he will learn such objectives.)

For constructivists, knowledge is not just acquired; instead, knowledge is constructed “by assimilating information, relating it to our existing knowledge, and cognitively processing it” (Bates, 2009, para. 3).

“Learning is a constantly dynamic process” (Bates, 2009, para. 7).

Constructivism centers on the learners as its active agents because each learner is unique and has social interactions. (Borje Holmberg’s learner’s center of learning focuses on the personal connection between learner and instructor – “guided didactic conversation”. Is it?)

Constructivism implications to online learning, according to Ally (2008):

Learners have the control, with some guidance, to construct knowledge during the learning process.

Collaborative learning, such as group work, facilitates social interactions.

Interactive learning amongst learner, interface, content, support – instructor and expert, and context.

Connectivism “is a theory for the digital age, where individuals learn and work in a networked environment” (Ally, 2008, p. 34).

In the digital age, the available information is massive and interconnected, and it flows across networks.

Siemens (2004):

Knowledge is outside the control of humans, and it is constantly changing.

Subsequently, Siemens (2005):

Learning is an external process (forward-looking and part of the bigger picture kind of situation?) instead of an individualistic activity (cognitivism? And/or constructivism?).

Learning is a process of connecting the dots (and making a cognitive conclusion?).

Staying up to date helps to maintain learning aptitude (it helps when we need to reconnect with the existing information stored in our memory).

Learning and unlearning are part of the learning process (I agree).

The validity of information is depending on changes in society.

Pragmatism and System of Thinking. American Pragmatism is “a school of thought that focuses on action and on the idea of practice and the practical” (Saba, 2003, p. 9).

What distinguishes distance education from other forms of education (traditional?) is the feature where learners are the focus of the learning process (shared by Borje Holmberg, Charles A. Wedemeyer, and Michael G. Moore).

Holmberg’s “guided didactic conversation” refers to the importance of personal relationships between learner and teacher (Saba, 2003, p. 4).

Wedemeyer’s learner’s independence on learning management -time, space, and pace.

Moore’s “transactional distance” refers to a relationship between learner and teacher (as Wedemeyer’s) in the learning process (Saba, 2003, p. 5). (In a social science framework)

How distance education is organized is another distinguishing feature of distance education (structural issues? shared by Desmond Keegan, Otto Peters, Randy Garrison, and John Anderson).

Industrialization in education by Peters (1994) demonstrates the importance of technology contributing to distance education. A distinguishing feature of industrialization is the division of labor. Thus, industrialization in education refers to the division of labor in distance education (Saba, 2003).

“… there were no statistically significant differences between classroom instruction and educational television…” (Saba, 2003, p. 6).

(How about in today’s time? Is there any comparative study comparing classroom instruction and video recording instruction or live training webinar?)

Salomon’s “distributed cognition” (1997) refers to “the role of the individual versus the role of the group” in computer-mediated communication (Saba, 2003, p. 7).

Social events (big ones) can influence the expansion of distance education in the U.S., such as:

Industrialization (extensive use of technology and division of labor) and post-Industrialization (is it not also involving extensive use of technology, what differentiates between the two?)
Post-Cold War
Internet
Economic development

As Peter stated (1967) of his evolved definition of distance education (from Industrialization time to post-Industrialization) is “a complex, hierarchical, nonlinear dynamic, self-organized, and purposeful system of learning and teaching” (Saba, 2003, p. 12).

Due to the various epistemology and changes that take place in society, American Pragmatism offers the wisdom of a “reconciler and mediator” (Saba, 2003, p. 10).

(Is it because pragmatism is about practicality? And therefore, it is adaptable when the intersection of changes is taking place?)

The Community of Inquiry (CoI) Frameworks has three elements (Garrison, Cleveland-Innes, and Archer, 2010):

Cognitive presence – the extent to which learners can construct meaning through interaction
Social presence – learners’ ability to demonstrate their personality in the CoI
Teaching presence – learning process encourages cognitive and social presence to form a meaningful learning experience (video, discussion board, access to new material)

All these elements are interrelated with each other to provide the best learning experience possible.

Charles Wedemeyer – cognitive presence

Michael Moore – teaching presence (transactional distance)

Borje Holmberg – social presence (the personal connection between learner and instructor, guided didactic conversation)

So, each of their focuses demonstrates the Community of Inquiry elements.

How to measure presence according to Nolan:

Social presence – online post – new post and reply
Teaching presence – tutoring – post and reply
Cognitive presence – engaging the learning video.

Teaching presence demonstrates students’ overall positive learning experience.

Four key changes in learning design methodology: (Nolan, 2019, pp. 5-6)

The online module lasts for three weeks instead of weekly (Prof. Steve uses this method).
Reward systems in discussion sessions – compulsory or optional to post (participating in discussion increase interaction and information sharing, to the very least).
Increase tutor involvement.
Shorter video duration and spread out throughout the module, integrated with other material. Open-ended questions encourage the thinking process, note-taking, and reflection (Prof. Steve uses this method).

Online education videos should be no longer than six minutes with three minutes break (Nolan, 2019, p. 5).

Social presence is the bridge that connects cognitive and teaching presence. Communication is required for collaboration and interpersonal skills development (Garrison, Anderson, and Archer, 2010, p. 7).

REFLECTION

Thinking about objectivism, behaviorism, cognitivism, constructivism, and connectivism theories, I would argue that each of these theories is interconnected to each other in a path of providing a comprehensive model of distance education.

I would argue that no theory is perfect, it is not a situation that is one size fits all. There are many variables, internal and external, to take into consideration when designing what structure would work for certain circumstances.

Internal variables, I would argue, comprise maturity, personality, pre-existing cognitive skills, attitude toward learning, and more. External variables, I would argue, comprise socio-economic, upbringing, geographic location, and culture.

My preferred method of delivery in distance education is hybrid (with synchronous and asynchronous formats). I still think that social interaction is needed because humans are, by nature, social beings. Although not all humans are social butterflies, the need to be social would still be there. An introvert would still be social; she/he just does not need socialization as much as an extrovert.

Although hybrid is my preferred method, I would argue that it should not be made compulsory. What I would do, instead, is to come to a consensus with each student to come to an agreement to meet on the core day(s). The core day(s) is to be decided collectively.

As mentioned in the readings, behaviorism seems to be a good theory to be applied in a learning process that is more factual and standardized. The carrot and stick model fits in behaviorism theory. The same goes with other epistemology, each one of them is a good model for certain learning processes and objectives, depending on its population.

The way I see epistemology in distance education is like I see how we parent our children. We do not exactly use only one theory for the rest of our lives as parents. We adjust and adapt our parenting epistemology depending on the children, the situation, the challenges, and the means and the objectives we have for the children. Parenting children is not a static act; it continuously evolves.

I would argue that Charles Wedemeyer, Michael Moore, and Borje Holmberg, share, to a certain extent, the cognitivism/constructivism ideal when it comes to the focus on distance learning, the learner is the center of learning. The difference is, I would argue, the implementation of this learner’s center focus. Wedemeyer, focuses strongly on independent learning where the student is the one who makes the decision about what lesson he/she wants to learn and how to learn it. Arguably, by giving autonomy to the learner, the outcome would be more ideal, meaning that the student would be more responsible for his/her own objectives. Setting one’s objectives, she/he would make a better strategy. When I see Wedemeyer’s learner’s center focus, I think of the cognitive presence element of the Community of Inquiry Framework.

On the other hand, Michael Moore’s learner’s center focuses on the transaction between the learner and instructor during the learning process. When a learner and an instructor interact more, the learning increases. It goes the opposite when a learner interacts less with the instructor, the learning decreases. I feel like Moore’s paradigm demonstrates the teaching presence element of the Community of Inquiry Frameworks.

In addition, Borje Holmberg’s learner’s center focuses on the personal relationship between learner and teacher, “guided didactic conversation.” A teacher, ideally, would guide and be the real mentor to the learner. With a good personal relationship, the quality of the teacher’s teaching the student, I would argue, is higher, which would result in a better learning experience. I would argue that Holmberg’s learner’s center displays the social presence element of the Community of Inquiry Frameworks.

After reading Saba’s paper, I got to think more about the epistemology of distance education. I would start with the behaviorism theory of learning, which I would argue, demonstrates a seemingly one-way learner-teacher relationship. Although the relationship is not fully one-way; however, a teacher seems to have more control over the students as well as the overall learning process.

Because behaviorism is about observing the expected behavior from learners, thus, teachers would set up expectations for students early in the process. Furthermore, it makes sense that the teachers would also be the ones that set the examples to learners on how to achieve those expectations. It is sort of a learn-by-example kind of relationship. Teachers set positive examples and encouragement, and students are expected to follow.

In addition, the reward/punishment method in behaviorism reminds me of the K-12 learning process. Teachers would give stars/rewards/points to students who do well and give corrections to students who need to do better. There are many applications that K-12 teachers use for this reward/punishment method, for example, ClassDojo. There are individualized reward points given to students who show the expected quality behavior. Throughout the school year, each student will collect Dojo points and will be able to earn rewards. In my son’s ES, the biggest reward that a student aims for is a 30-min free time where the student can do anything, including playing games with their computer. For K-12 students, this 30-min free time is an awesome reward to have; and committed students, like my son, aim for it 😊. ClassDojo rewards app is also utilized by the whole school, which means each class competes to win the classroom reward.

Behaviorism theory also fits the teaching style in the military and for people with learning disabilities. I would also argue that behaviorism is applicable to teaching older generations. In my culture, the older generation tends to have an either-or and/or yes/no mindset. So, I wonder if behaviorism is applicable to teaching older generations, in general (I am not trying to brush all older generations with the same brush, of course).

Cognitivism theory seems to be ideal to be implemented in learners from a very early age to prepare and develop the learner’s brain and cognitive skills to acquire and process information available to and for them. Arguably, for this to work, the instructor’s ability to create and develop such a learning environment is vital.

Since cognitivism focuses on the learner, therefore, learner’s level of comprehension of the learning content is varied. Thus, an individualized approach, guidance, and assessment become significant to measure each learner’s standing in acquiring the information during the learning process.

Cognitivism’s goal for learners is to possess critical thinking skills, which is a higher level of cognitive skills for problem-solving.

When I think of constructivism, I think of the Montessori method of teaching. I wonder if the Montessori method is built upon or based on constructivism, after all, Maria Montessori was a researcher and professional who focuses on early childhood education.

I would argue that the Montessori method covers both cognitivism and constructivism; but it is lining towards constructivism more due to Montessori’s key components that emphasize collaborative work among peers, instructor as a guide, and learning-by-doing context (Montessori method, n.d.). Furthermore, because social interaction (peers review and collaborative work) is an important component in constructivism, this differentiates constructivism from cognitivism, where information is more “provided” by the instructor and that learning is an internal mental process, excluding the socialization process during the learning process.

Whereas cognitivism is acquiring, storing, and processing information – that is structured for the learners – into knowledge; constructivism is constructing the knowledge from the information available in a social interaction.

As for connectivism, I would argue that this theory is still in progress as we are still in the digital age. Computer, internet, and information technologies are still evolving with potentially newly updated and upgraded ones. With the advancement of technology and progress in many countries’ socio-economic, the availability and flow of information become extremely abundant. Internet’s availability is no longer reserved only developed countries; the internet is almost available in every corner of the world, even in a location that is much less populated and civilized. Accessing information is no longer dependent on our ability to have a desktop computer. In developing worlds, a computer is something still considered a luxury item. However, a smartphone, although it can be equally expensive, has become a necessary tool for communication. The smartphone becomes not only a tool of communication but also a tool for acquiring information that, to various levels of extent, many people turn into knowledge.

The presence of social media, for example, has revolutionized how information is available and presented. I feel like many things in today’s time run so extremely fast, I feel the need to disconnect, sometimes. Of course, what is “fast” in the U.S. can differ from what is “fast” in my home country, Indonesia. However, one thing that is “at the same time” is, I would argue, the availability of the information itself. People all over the world can access the same exact information simultaneously despite their geographic regions. This is extremely fascinating, concurrently a bit concerning (not in a bad way necessarily). Information can last a few days, months, years, or days if not minutes! The value and validity of information are, in many ways or for popular information at least, depending on a collective consensus of the recipients or people who acquire it.

For example, now, breaking news seems to be happening all the time. Back then, I remember, breaking news is something that does not take place every day; it was meant for a special events. But today, every news channels always have breaking news. After that, that breaking news do not seem to last very long because they are replaced by other breaking news. It demonstrates connectivism’s learning and un-learning component, I would argue.

In connection with the Community of Inquiry Framework, I would argue that the social presence is definitely there. The network in connectivism is probably the teaching presence (connectivism argues that the information is, out there, in the network). As for the cognitive presence, I would argue, in connectivism would be the learner’s ability to acquire this diverse information, make collective observation, and determination on the information they are worth keeping or not.

Although from what I have read connectivism is still an ongoing theory, I would say, yes, because human civilization is still ongoing. Would it be another theory like the previous ones? I would say, yes. Would it be perfect? I would say, of course not, just like other theories before it that are not perfect. I guess this is where pragmatism in the U.S. distance education comes in. Behaviorism, cognitivism, constructivism, and connectivism still stay because they each have qualities that are applicable to learning and distance education. After all, pragmatism, in my own way, means being practical. It is like Darwin’s theory of survival. These theories of learning still survive to date because they have components that allow them to survive.

References

Ally, M. (2008). Foundation of educational theory of online learning. In The theory and practice of online learning (pp. 15-44). Athabasca University Press. https://www.aupress.ca/app/uploads/120146_99Z_Anderson_2008-Theory_and_Practice_of_Online_Learning.pdf

Anderson, T. (2008). Towards a theory of online learning. In The theory and practice of online learning (pp. 45-74). Athabasca University Press. https://www.aupress.ca/app/uploads/120146_99Z_Anderson_2008-Theory_and_Practice_of_Online_Learning.pdf

Bates, A. W. (2019). Teaching in a digital age. Victoria, BC: BCcampus. https://opentextbc.ca/teachinginadigitalage/

Garrison, D. R., Anderson, T., & Archer, W. (2010). The first decade of the community of inquiry framework: A retrospective. Internet and Higher Education, 13(1), 5-9. http://www2.mcdaniel.edu/its/BPO_2011/readings/Garrison-first%20decade.pdf

Montessori Generation. (n.d.). Montessori method.https://montessorigeneration.com/pages/montessori-method

Nolan-Grant, C. R. (2019). The community of inquiry framework as learning design model: A case study in postgraduate online education. Research in Learning Technology, 27, 1-15.

Saba, F. (2003). Distance education theory, methodology, and epistemology: A pragmatic paradigm. In Handbook of distance education (pp. 3-19). Lawrence ERL Baum and Associates.