Making Online Courses Interactive

Interactive and Collaborative Learning Contemplation

I was tasked with working in a group to make online courses interactive and collaborative. Through this course, I designed and facilitated four online sessions, two synchronous and two asynchronous. I was also challenged to design our sessions using the community or inquiry framework as a guide including the practical inquiry model. Below you will find my assessments on the theories that drive my design and the benefits and challenges of developing interactive classes. I also included two examples of the interactive session I facilitated. One example is a synchronous session, and the other is an asynchronous session.

Benefits & Challenges

Benefits

There are many benefits to developing interactive and collaborative courses online that engage deep levels of learning. Below is a short list of some of these benefits:

Students engage in discussion, which allows them to address misconceptions. We see this during the integration phase of the practical inquiry model when students discuss and synthesize new ideas based on the "big Idea" of the session.
Building interactive courses allow students the opportunity to use their retrieval practices. This process of retrieval practices helps increase learning because learners recall the information from memory, which increases their retention by combining prior knowledge with new experiences.
Interactive courses allow learners to get instant feedback on assessment questions that are low stakes. Instant feedback allows learners to use their critical thinking skills without fear of getting the answer wrong or seeing a reduced grade for the course.
Interactive learning in the context of online courses allows for more accessibility for learners because learning is not limited to a specific geographical location, such as the classroom. Additionally, it allows learners to work at their own pace.
Learners can access the information before and after the class session starts or is finished. Getting materials before class allows learners to come prepared to engage in discussion, and learners can incorporate what they are learning with their existing knowledge.

Challenges

There are many challenges in developing interactive and collaborative courses online that engage deep levels of learning. Below is a short list of some of these challenges:

Learners have to know the technology in order for it to benefit them. If they cannot navigate the tools in the LMS or the controls for asynchronous sessions, then this can lead to confusion and frustration on the part of the learner.
Building interaction in online courses is time-consuming to create every element, arrange the content to make sense with frequent breaks to test knowledge and try to design to reduce cognitive overload.
Communicating with learners can be difficult because there can be distractions or simply a lack of motivation on the part of the learner.
Technical issues can cause difficulties in the engagement of courses for you as the instructor and for the participants. Although technology allows for more accessibility, technical issues can arise beyond your control, such as a touchy Wi-Fi service.
When preparing the course content, it can be difficult to whittle down the "need to know" portions of the content.

Community of Inquiry Framework (CoI)

Overview of the Community of Inquiry Framework

The Community of Inquiry framework is a process model that centers around an environment where learners construct meaning and communicate understanding collaboratively. The Community of Inquiry framework provides an in-depth and consistent viewpoint of inquiry where learning depends on the transactional dynamics of the learning community. Each element of the Community of Inquiry framework, the social, cognitive, and teaching presence, depend on one another and are the catalyst for thinking and learning within the learning community (Garrison, 2016).

A community of inquiry is necessary for the Community of Inquiry framework to succeed. A community of inquiry describes a group of individuals who engage in purposeful analytical discussion and reflection to create personal meaning and check mutual understanding. Back in the 1980's Matthew Lipman coined the term "community of inquiry" when he and his colleagues were working on redefining educational practices. Lipman believed critical thinking was the objective of education, but it had to be socially situated. Lipman's theoretical reconstruction of practical ideas is based on John Dewy's work and his inquiry concept (Garrison, 2016). Communities of inquiry present intellectual challenges and provide learners with an environment for learning where they can stretch their thinking by working collaboratively. Learning communities are necessary for success in a connected and knowledge-driven society. The community of inquiry provides reassurance and guidance for thinking collaboratively, meaning it is a place where an individual's thought processes are shared publicly for critical consideration. This allows students to exchange ideas, discuss issues, expand critical thinking skills, construct meaning, and validate knowledge collaboratively.

The Three Elements that Make Up the Community of Inquiry

Social Presence:

Social presence is crucial because it focuses on the purpose of students' inquiry and ensures open communication within the learning group. Socially students need to identify with their classroom community and their shared purpose for being there. Knowing the group's shared purpose will help them engage in purposeful discussion in the learning environment and develop interpersonal relationships. With social presence, it should be noted that interpersonal relationships can potentially limit students' communication skills. Therefore, the primary focus in the social aspect of this framework should be on the group's identity.

Cognitive Presence:

Cognitive presence is how learners construct and confirm meaning through critical thinking and constant reflection. Critical thinking is having the ability to reason and make logical connections between ideas. Thinking critically about a subject allows us to explore, integrate and resolve the questions we have about the subject. Discourse in an intentional community of inquiry can lead to understanding but does not mean that students will automatically agree or come to the same conclusion. However, it does mean that learners can gain an understanding of different perspectives while arguing their viewpoints. Ultimately the goal is to come to a shared understanding or an appreciation of the ideas presented. It is important to remember that critical discourse is founded on uncertainty and inquiry, which helps in the development of new ideas. Critical thinking and discourse are essential in the cognitive presence. Therefore we can use the Practical Inquiry Model PIM) to explore the content by engaging in personal reflection and moving through the inquiry processes. The Practical Inquiry Model has four distinct phases. They are the trigger, exploration, integration, and resolution phases.

Teaching Presence:

Teaching presence is the backbone of the learning community, and it is what keeps the learning community functioning. Teaching presence consists of three responsibilities: design, facilitation, and direction of cognitive and social presence.

Design is the first step in creating a purposeful learning experience. The design process guided by the Community of Inquiry framework will encourage thoughtful discussion and help instructors achieve the intended learning outcomes. Instructors must consider the content, resources, and associated activities when designing courses. Once they have organized the course content, they must design discussion prompts that allow for collaborative learning. Additionally, when designing courses, Instructors must establish open communication and support for learners.

Facilitation is crucial in sustaining social and cognitive presence. Facilitation helps provide support and guidance for thinking and learning collaboratively. Facilitation is not limited to just us as the teacher but is open to all learning group members. Facilitation is essential to the thinking and learning processes because all participants are meta-cognitively monitoring and managing the thinking and learning process. For facilitation to be successful, all participants must be aware of the social climate, and take responsibility and foster an environment for open communication. Finally, Facilitation requires instructors to focus the discussion, challenge ideas, and identify areas of agreement or disagreement. Ultimately instructors should challenge the biases and thinking of all participants while focusing on the intended objectives being achieved in a timely manner.

Direct instruction goes beyond facilitation in terms of productivity. Direct instruction is vital to the inquiry process as the group reaches the resolution phase. Leadership is important in collaborative thinking and learning because it provides direction and feedback.

Practical Inquiry Model (PIM)

Overview of the Practical Inquiry Model

The Practical Inquiry Model helps with the critical thinking and reflection processes. The practical inquiry model is two-dimensional. The first dimension allows students to have the opportunity for personal reflection, which they will share and then continue to reflect upon. The second dimension reflects on the inquiry process as the group collectively shares and reflects on what they are learning. This helps them to develop and construct meaning and work collaboratively. The PIM model consists of 4 phases. They are the trigger, exploration, integration, and resolution phases.

Overview of the Four Phases That Make Up the Practical Inquiry Model

Trigger Phase:

The triggering phase is the first phase of the Practical Inquiry Model. During the trigger phase, a well-thought-out question or activity should engage learners to get them to buy into the lesson. During this phase, instructors will share the "Big Idea" of the lesson, along with learning objectives and present expectations for the course.

Exploration Phase:

The exploration phase is the second phase of the Practical Inquiry Model. During this phase, learners are working through the process of trying to understand the nature of the big idea. Facilitators will have learners reflect on what is being discussed by having them brainstorm or recall information after it has been presented.

Integration Phase:

The integration phase is the third phase of the Practical Inquiry Model. During this phase, learners are working on constructing meaning. Facilitators will have learners work collaboratively and engage in discourse. Learners, during this phase, try to integrate new knowledge with their previous understanding of the topic.

Resolution Phase:

The resolution phase is the final phase of the Practical Inquiry Model. During this phase, students will demonstrate their understanding of the big idea.

Examples

Example #1 Synchronous: A Interactive and Collaborative Conference Session

Overview

The video below briefly showcases a synchronous web session discussing chapter #5 from Thinking Collaboratively: Learning in a Community of Inquiry by D. Randy Garrison. The web session focused on how instructors can design their courses using the Community of Inquiry framework and how each phase of the framework can affect the learning community.

The conference session was designed to include interaction and collaboration and encourage deep learning. Throughout the session, participants were provided with several assessment questions interspersed through each phase of the Practical Inquiry Model (PIM is associated with the cognitive presence in the Community of Inquiry framework). Assessment questions were an icebreaker, true or false, matching terms, polling, and a scenario. With each assessment question, participants were asked to use various annotation tools and the conference session window to provide their answers. Additionally, when discussing the scenario activity, participants use the break-out room function to discuss their answers and write them in a Google Slides presentation prepared for them ahead of the course. They were then asked to join the main room of the session to discuss their answer by sharing the screen.

To encourage deep learning, the web session was designed using the Practical Inquiry Model, Beyond Bullet Point Design and Retrieval practice was used. The Practical Inquiry Model will help with the critical thinking and reflection processes. Beyond Bullet point design reduces cognitive load and provides a more visually dynamic approach. Finally, Retrieval Practices were used to help students increase their learning because when learners recall information from memory, it increases their retention by combining prior knowledge with new experiences.

Example #2 Asynchronous: A Interactive and Collaborative Conference Session

Overview

The VoiceThread session below briefly showcases an asynchronous web session discussing chapter #7 from Thinking Collaboratively: Learning in a Community of Inquiry by D. Randy Garrison. The VoiceThread session focused on the Community of Inquiry framework and the seven principles that guide design, facilitation, and direct instruction for facilitators.

The conference session was designed to include interaction and collaboration and encourage deep learning. Throughout the session, participants were provided with several assessment questions interspersed through each phase of the Practical Inquiry Model (PIM is associated with the cognitive presence in the Community of Inquiry framework). Assessment questions were asked as open-ended in order to facilitate discussion. Participants were asked to comment on the VoiceThread using various commenting tools (i.e., webcam comment or text comment). By providing comments in the asynchronous session, they could see other participants' responses as well as provide their own

Resources

Garrison, D. R. (2016). Thinking collaboratively: Learning in a community of inquiry. Routledge, is an imprint of the Taylor & Francis Group, an Informa business.

Payne, C. R. (2009). Information Technology and constructivism in higher education: Progressive learning frameworks. Information Science Reference.

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