Creating students’ communities of Inquiry (COI) in online learning using the Moodle Learning Management System

The issue of promoting high levels of interactivity in online learning is important and topical. There is always a need to provide opportunities for online learners to work with others and feel a sense of belonging. This desktop review paper explores the possibility of creating communities of inquiry using the Moodle learning management system. In this discussion, we review the general use of a learning management system in an institution of higher learning. We discuss the advantages and disadvantages of online learning. The concept community of inquiry is unpacked, with emphasis on the three presences namely the cognitive, social and teaching presences. By drawing on the interactive features of the Moodle LMS, we discuss how the three presences could be promoted. Conclusions and recommendations are drawn from the discussion. Keywords: online learning,, interactivity, collaborative learning, digital learning platform, higher education DOI: 10.7176/JEP/11-30-18 Publication date:October 31st 202

PROMOTING INTERACTIVITY IN ONLINE LEARNING – TOWARDS THE ACHIEVEMENT OF HIGH-QUALITY ONLINE LEARNING OUTCOMES

Online learning is different from face-to-face contact learning. The former is technology-mediated and often accused of lacking the interaction the learners would have when learning together in contact sessions. However, the richness of online learning is flexibility, which allows learning to take place anytime from anywhere. Online learning through the utilisation of digital learning platforms may provide rich learning experiences. The Covid-19 pandemic prompted most institutions of higher learning to move to online learning due to restrictions on gathering. Some of the institutions were not prepared for this move and this resulted in challenges in implementing online learning effectively. When online learning is not implemented properly, students will be pedagogically distanced from the course instructor and the learning process. Moore’s (1989) transactional distance theory notes the importance of pedagogical distance to ensure effective distance learning. In this discussion, we unpack the transactional distance theory and suggest ways of promoting interactivity in online learning in different ways. Conclusions are drawn from the discussion and recommendations are made. Article visualizations

Evaluating the Online Learning Experiences of Participants in an Online Education Course

Learning online could be an entirely new experience for students who are used to learning in face-to-face contact settings. Of importance are the ways course instructors and learners transition to online teaching and learning. Underpinned by the Community of Inquiry framework, the study sought to explore and understand the online learning experiences of participants on a 4-week long intensive training programme in a rural-based university in Eswatini. A purposive sample of eleven participants participated in the study by completing a programme evaluation form and participating in a virtual focus group discussion session. The thematic content analysis method was utilised to analyse qualitative data. The study found that while the participants found online learning exciting and flexible, they had different interpretations of their interactions with content, peers, course instructors and technology. The study concludes that effective online teaching and learning is dependent on the meaningful interaction of the learners with content, peers, course instructors and technology. There are important pedagogical implications on how online course instructors should establish and maintain the three ‘presences’ which are the cognitive, the social and the teaching in ways that impact positively on the online learners’ learning processes. Keywords: Online learning. Interaction. Presence. Online pedagogy DOI: 10.7176/JEP/13-20-02 Publication date:July 31st 202