The Community of Inquiry Framework Ten Years Later: Introduction to the Special Issue

This article introduces the special issue on the Community of Inquiry (CoI) framework which is being published ten years after the model was first introduced. Since that time the CoI framework has been used to guide and inform both research and practice worldwide. We are very honored to have articles by the original three authors of the CoI model in this special issue. The special issue also contains articles by leading CoI researchers as well as some scholars who are just beginning to use the framework

Enhancing e-Learning Effectiveness

While there is considerable evidence that effective leadership makes a significant difference in student achievement in the K-12 environment (Waters, Marzano, & McNulty, 2003), similar research linking leadership in e-learning to student success does not exist. Indeed, similar research has not been undertaken at post-secondary levels at all, most likely because student learning at institutions of higher education has not been subject to the same scrutiny as it has K-12 schools. This state of affairs is changing rapidly, however, driven to no small extent by the rise of online education, and student achievement at post-secondary institutions is increasingly being questioned. E-learning effectiveness, therefore, is an issue that e-learning leaders must take very seriously. This chapter explores what e-learning leaders should know about learning effectiveness. Because there are still many who doubt the efficacy of e-learning, it first reviews current evidence which finds that students learn at least as much if not more in online classes as they do in traditional, face-to-face classes. It then briefly examines the notion that the online medium is better suited for new pedagogical approaches, and suggests “constructivism” as a epistemological foundation for much online teaching. However, learning is an extremely complex activity, and all learning contexts are unique. The chapter thus advocates for e-learning leaders making themselves particularly knowledgeable about their own unique e-learning contexts through the collection and analysis of empirical data. The chapter thus describes the role of learning analytics and data-based decision-making and advocates for exploring the inputs and processes of learning as well as learning outcomes. Two different approaches to assuring quality in the design of online courses are described, along with several approaches to measuring learning processes including the Community of Inquiry survey. Finally, the chapter identifies a variety of outcomes measures that are useful in this environment

Narratives Countering the Democratising Ideal of Discourse in an Online Forum of a Higher Education Institution

This paper describes power inequalities among participants in an online forum at a higher education institution in South Africa. Critical poststructuralist theory informs the study as it investigates how hegemony influences the strategic interaction of participants. An interpretive analysis uncovered elements of a cyclic process of intensified exclusion, inequality and oppression. This took place within a virtual space which is theoretically idealized as an equalizer and promoter of freedom of speech. The process involved in the eliciting of voices is described and the interpretation of subjective accounts tells of the disillusioned experiences of a potential liberating form of technology. Instead of alleviating conflict, the potential of the online forum is subverted and intensifies the alienation of and animosity between participants. Proposals for moderation are made to change the forum to a democratic, inclusive space

Kinship and Collegiality: An exploration of the underpinning characteristics of external partnerships at a University Education Department

Purpose External partnerships are crucial to the functioning of a university education department. The purpose of this paper is to explore the underpinning characteristics of such partnerships. It examines different types of partnerships from those in initial teacher education, to continuing professional development to international. Evidence-based data are gathered from both external partners and university staff who deal with partnership. Softer skills and intellectual kingship are identified as the fundamental drivers of partnership and the subsequent implications for universities are examined. Design/methodology/approach In order to explore the nature of these partnerships, a qualitative approach was essential as the focus was in the motives and perspectives of the authors’ partners, the authors’ colleagues and the university as a corporate entity. To this end, questionnaires were designed for use with a broad range of teacher education partners. Semi-structured interviews were also conducted with university-based colleagues involved in a range of these partnership activities. Findings The institutional reputation on its own does not appear to be the main driver for partnership and as such, the partner bases their decisions and judgements upon the relationship and discussions with the link person they deal with. In turn, those key actors in the university education department also see the wider university as an inhibitor and constraint upon partnership but maintain their relationships by drawing on autonomous forms of professionalism. Thus, intellectual kinship, collegiality and common goals may be argued as key to generating successful external relationships. Practical implications It is important to note that a business relationship which relies on an individual is fragile; people move, become ill and change roles. Clear strategies are essential for succession planning across all such partnerships in an institution, if they are to avoid the potential financial and reputational repercussions arising from unplanned change. Originality/value This study highlights the significance of effective communication between the department establishing the partnership and those responsible for broader managerial and administrative systems in the institution, as well as the potential importance of shared values across departments in respect of supporting and maintaining international partnerships. Further, institutions should recognise the fundamental importance of the link person, in terms of the boundary-spanning nature of the role, the importance to that role of intellectual kinship and the potential this has for the development of new or expanded relationships

Dental morphology and mechanical efficiency during development in a hard object feeding primate (Cercocebus atys)

Teeth play a prominent role in food acquisition and processing by providing the working surfaces to initiate and propagate fracture. Variation in the shape and size of teeth has therefore naturally been associated with various dietary adaptations. However, few studies have actually tested the functional consequences of tooth form on food breakdown. The work presented in this thesis uses a combination of shape quantification and physical testing to further our understanding of the relationship between dental occlusal morphology and food breakdown in the dietary specialisation hard object feeding. The sooty mangabey, Cercocebus atys, is a primate that specialises in hard object feeding throughout its life, and so presents an interesting study group that will be of focus in this thesis. Individual cusps which vary in angle and bluntness performed differently (in terms of force, energy, duration and fragmentation) during food breakdown physical testing. Therefore trade-offs in dental occlusal morphology may have to occur when optimising for more than one performance criteria. This may in part explain the diversity of tooth form observed in hard object feeders. The morphology of C. atys molars changes considerably with age due to wear, with high sharp cusps in the juveniles wearing down to produce dentine pools surrounded by an enamel ridge in older individuals. Given the considerable change in dental occlusal morphology due to wear, performance is minimally effected in hard hollow object feeding, this is particularly relevant for the dietary ecology of C. atys suggesting functional equivalence in the tooth as it wears. This study reveals a complex relationship between dental occlusal morphology and dietary ecology

Quantum-Enhanced Sensing Based on Time Reversal of Nonlinear Dynamics

We experimentally demonstrate a nonlinear detection scheme exploiting time-reversal dynamics that disentangles continuous variable entangled states for feasible readout. Spin-exchange dynamics of Bose-Einstein condensates is used as the nonlinear mechanism which not only generates entangled states but can also be time reversed by controlled phase imprinting. For demonstration of a quantum-enhanced measurement we construct an active atom SU(1,1) interferometer, where entangled state preparation and nonlinear readout both consist of parametric amplification. This scheme is capable of exhausting the quantum resource by detecting solely mean atom numbers. Controlled nonlinear transformations widen the spectrum of useful entangled states for applied quantum technologies.Comment: 9 pages, 3 figures, 3 pages supplementary material, 2 supplementary figure

Demonstrating the value of the RN in ambulatory care

During 2003, an estimated 906 million visits were made to physician offices in the United States (Hing, Cherry, & Woodwell, 2005). Overall, 42% of visits to outpatient settings were attended by a registered nurse (Middleton & Hing, 2005). Despite ambulatory care being the fastest growing site for care, it is the least studied. The purpose of this article is to provide an overview of the role of the RN in ambulatory care and describe the direct and indirect economic value of RNs in ambulatory care settings

INTRODUCTION TO THE SPECIAL ISSUE SPOTLIGHTING PAPERS FROM THE AERA SPECIAL INTEREST GROUP ON ONLINE TEACHING AND LEARNING

The American Educational Research Association (AERA) is the premier association of educational research professionals. AERA supports 12 divisions and 150 Special Interest Groups (SIGs). One of the latter is the Special Interest Group on Online Teaching and Learning (SIG-OTL). SIG-OTL is a multi- disciplinary community of scholars focused on the creation, use, and evaluation of online learning environments. This special issue spotlights 11 papers taken from those presented at the 2017 annual meeting

Measuring nurse workload in ambulatory care

Nurses and adequate nurse staffing are critical to the delivery of safe, cost-effective, and quality patient care in every health care setting. This has been proven time and again through various research studies and recognized by various accrediting bodies such as JCAHO. However, the information available on required or optimal ambulatory care nurse staffing is limited and varies across ambulatory care settings. An overview of instruments for measuring nursing workload in ambulatory care, a critical prerequisite when identifying best nurse staffing models for diverse ambulatory care settings, is provided

ON THE NATURE AND DEVELOPMENT OF SOCIAL PRESENCE IN ONLINE COURSE DISCUSSIONS

“Social presence,” the degree to which participants in computer-mediated communication feel affectively connected one to another, has been shown to be an important factor in student satisfaction and success in online courses. This mixed methods study built on previous research to explore in greater depth the nature of social presence and how it develops in online course discussions. The study combined quantitative analyses of survey results from students enrolled in four online graduate courses, and qualitative comparisons of students with the highest and lowest perceptions of social presence. Quantitative results revealed significant correlations between perceived social presence and satisfaction with online discussions, and teased apart the respective influences of the perceived presence of instructors and peers. The findings indicate that the perceived presence of instructors may be a more influential factor in determining student satisfaction than the perceived presence of peers. Correlations with other course and learner characteristics suggest that course design may also significantly affect the development of social presence. Qualitative findings support the quantitative results. In addition, they provide evidence that students perceiving the highest social presence also projected themselves more into online discussions, and reveal meaningful differences in perceptions of the usefulness and purpose of online discussion between students perceiving high and low social presence