The Community of Inquiry Framework, Blended Learning, and the i2Flex Classroom Model

Abstract

The Community of Inquiry (CoI) framework was developed by researchers interested in exploring learning in online discussions who grounded their thinking in social constructivist notions of inquiry-based teaching and learning. The i2Flex approach is similarly grounded in social constructivism and inquiry, thus it makes sense to explore the CoI framework with the hope of informing i2Flex models. The purpose of this chapter is to do so. The chapter summarizes the way the CoI framework is conceptualized as developing from the interaction of three presences, and reviews research on the effects of each presence on teaching and learning. The development and validation of a CoI survey and some of the research it has enabled is also discussed. In particular, the chapter examines a course redesign project that significantly improved learning outcomes in four online courses which seems ideally suited the ongoing development of i2Flex classes. The chapter concludes with an examination of two other frameworks for structuring blended learning that might be applicable to i2Flex classes.