Community of Inquiry

It is considered that online learning is particularly suited to an inquiry process whereby a community of learners form an essential, core element of an educational experience where higher-order learning is the desired outcome. (Garrison D & Anderson T 2003 p.22) A conceptual framework for planning and delivering online learning has been identified as a Community of Inquiry framework.

Three key elements of a community of inquiry are cognitive presence, social presence, and teaching presence. The University of Adelaide has undertaken evaluations of an online roleplay simulation 'The Mekong e-Sim' using the community of inquiry framework and this same framework has been applied to developing online roleplay simulations for preparing engineering students for multidisciplinary and international practice.

Further details about the Community of Inquiry Framework can be found within Garrison & Anderson's E-Learning in the 21st Century: A Framework for Research and Practice.