Abstract
Research into providing effective online education has suggested an important goal for instructors is the creation of an online community of inquiry (CoI) where social, cognitive, and teacher presence are all important aspects of successful online learning. With reference to a recent reflective practice case study, this paper describes ways that the research on online communities of inquiry may be enriched through the use of digital ethnography. In the target reflective case study, data analysis tasks were designed and presented in an online VoiceThread site, promoting dialogic and multimodal engagement with data from actual research studies that are central to the module theme in teacher education. Interaction around these tasks is coded using the CoI framework. Ethnographic data from the participants was collected and coded using qualitative research protocols to contextualise the interaction data and provide a clearer understanding of how participants had come together throughout the module. The ethnographic data revealed some interesting concerns with online learning, including the use of technology as a barrier to participation.
Highlights
According to the latest figures, the number of students in higher education who are enrolled exclusively in an online programme has been growing steadily in recent years, and by 2016 was estimated to represent about 15 percent, or about one in six students [1]
The online learning experience is developing so rapidly that it was estimated that by 2017, the proportion of all students taking at least one course online grew to 33.1 percent, from 31.1 percent in 2016 [1]
Research has shown that the recent rate of drop-out in open and distance learning systems are higher than drop-out in conventional learning environments [3]
Summary
According to the latest figures, the number of students in higher education who are enrolled exclusively in an online programme has been growing steadily in recent years, and by 2016 was estimated to represent about 15 percent, or about one in six students [1]. The online learning experience is developing so rapidly that it was estimated that by 2017, the proportion of all students taking at least one course online grew to 33.1 percent, from 31.1 percent in 2016 [1] This dramatic rise in numbers, belies the fact that dropout rates for distance education are an increasing problem [2]. While there will always be circumstances beyond the control of the institution, it is clear that those involved in the delivery of distance learning need to fully understand the complexities of providing a satisfying and rich pedagogy, to maintain student interest and drive student learning To further support this point, the amount of instructor-student interaction, learnercontent interaction, and internet self-efficacy, have all been found to be important predictors of student satisfaction [10]
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