Critical thinking in distance education: Developing critical communities in an audio teleconference context

Distance education has long been associated with independent study and delivery of prepackaged learning materials. These characteristics effectively deny distance education students the opportunity to participate in communities of inquiry and, perhaps, opportunities to develop their critical thinking slulls. This paper reviews the theoretical impact of socially situated learning, critical thinking and their implications for distance education. It then presents the results from a study of learners' perceptions while enrolled in two different models of audio teleconferenced delivered, university courses. The study reports quantitative results from a mail survey of these students and the qualitative results from interviews and classroom observations. The impact of the insrmctional design used by the delivering institution resulted in two distinct models of audio teleconference delivery with significant qualitative and quantitative differences in student perception. The paper concludes that learning communities, which support the development of critical thinlang skills, can be created at a distance and that they provide a mechanism for improving the quality of higher level distance education

Transactional Issues in Distance Education: The Impact of Design in Audioteleconferencing

This paper reports the results of a study of student perceptions of learning via audioconferencing in university-level courses delivered at a distance. Field observations, interviews, and a focus group were used to triangulate and deepen knowledge obtained from an initial mail survey. The results of the investigation revealed that the audioteleconferences were being used under two quite different instructional designs, which were associated with significant differences in students' perceptions of the opportunity to engage in critical thinking skills, creation of a community of inquiry, and the value of various components of the distance education system. The study documents students' perceptions and outlines ways in which these sessions can be designed to induce maximum learning opportunities

Avoiding the Industrialization of Research Universities: Big and Little Distance Education

The pressure to increase access to higher education while reducing costs raises serious questions with regard to the purpose and goals of the traditional research-intensive university. Moreover, there is considerable rhetoric about reinventing universities based on adoption of communications and learning technologies without clearly defining or articulating educational goals. In contrast to the big industrial model of distance education, an approach to distance education is described that is consistent with the traditional goals and values of creating knowledge through a critical community of learners. This approach, or model, is labeled "little distance education," and its characteristics are defined. Meeting the needs of a new market for continuing professional education available at a distance is also discussed

Critical Thinking and Computer Conferencing: A Model and Tool to Assess Cognitive Presence

This article describes a practical approach to judging the nature and quality of critical discourse in a computer conference. A model of a critical community of inquiry frames the research. A core concept in defining a community of inquiry is cognitive presence. In turn, the practical inquiry model operationalizes cognitive presence for the purpose of developing a tool to assess critical discourse and reflection. The authors present encouraging empirical findings related to an attempt to create an efficient and reliable instrument to assess the nature and quality of critical discourse and thinking in a text-based educational context. Finally, the authors suggest that cognitive presence (i.e., critical, practical inquiry) can be created and supported in a computer-conference environment with appropriate teaching and social presence

Development of a community of inquiry in online and blended learning contexts

AbstractThis paper discusses findings of a mixed method research project with the goal to study the development of a community of inquiry in online and blended learning environments. A graduate course delivered online and blended format was the focus of the study. Data was gathered from the Community of Inquiry Survey and transcript analysis of online discussions to explore the developmental differences on each presence (social, teaching and cognitive). The results showed: significant differences on social and cognitive presence between two course formats and higher perceptions of the presences in blended course

Methodological Issues in the Content Analysis of Computer Conference Transcripts

This paper discusses the potential and the methodological challenges of analyzing computer conference transcripts using quantitative content analysis. The paper is divided into six sections, which discuss: criteria for content analysis, research designs, types of content, units of analysis, ethical issues, and software to aid analysis. The discussion is supported with a survey of 19 commonly referenced studies published during the last decade. The paper is designed to assist researchers in using content analysis to further the understanding of teaching and learning using computer conferencing

Assessing Social Presence In Asynchronous Text-based Computer Conferencing

Instructional media such as computer conferencing engender high levels of student-student and student-teacher interaction; affectively into a community of inquiry. A template for assessing social presence in computer conferencing is presented through content analysis of conferencing transcripts. To facilitate explication of the scheme and subsequent replication of this study, selections of coded transcripts are included, along with interrater reliability figures. The article concludes with a discussion of the implications and benefits of assessing social presence for instructors, for instructors, conference moderators, and researchers

Revisiting methodological issues in transcript analysis: Negotiated coding and reliability

Transcript analysis is an important methodology to study asynchronous online educational discourse. The purpose of this study is to revisit reliability and validity issues associated with transcript analysis. The goal is to provide researchers with guidance in coding transcripts. For validity reasons, it is suggested that the first step is to select a sound theoretical model and coding scheme. Particular focus is placed on exploring the advantages of the option of a negotiated approach to coding the transcript. It is concluded that researchers need to consider the advantages of negotiation when coders and researchers are not familiar with the coding scheme