scholarly journals Investigating Students’ Perceptions of Cognitive Presence in Relation to Learner Performance in Blended Learning Courses: A Mixed‑Methods Approach

2020 ◽  
Vol 18 (4) ◽  
Author(s):  
Mustapha Almasi ◽  
Chang Zhu
Keyword(s):  
Academic Performance ◽  
Blended Learning ◽  
Learning Community ◽  
Student Performance ◽  
Cognitive Presence ◽  
Teaching Presence ◽  
Group Discussions ◽  
Learner Performance ◽  
Low Levels ◽  
Feedback Time

Cognitive presence sustains the learning community through intellectual discourse. Previous studies have explored cognitive presence using mainly quantitative measures in relation to students’ perceived learning. This study adopts a mixed‑method approach to investigate students’ perception of cognitive presence, its relationship with academic performance, and its manifestation in blended learning courses in selected Tanzanian universities. The study adds empirical evidence about the emerging blended learning courses. A total of 351 students were involved in the study. The findings show that students reported a high cognitive presence (mean = 3.9, SD = .51). Furthermore, cognitive presence predicted student performance. Qualitative data show that students explored information through interaction in group discussions and presentations, with the main push being questions from instructors (teaching presence). Students integrated and applied their knowledge by discussing among themselves, teaching others, and practicing what they had learned. Nevertheless, lack of prompts for feedback, time constraints and lack of confidence were linked with low levels of cognitive presence. The study concludes that students experience high cognitive presence, which predicts their academic performance. The findings imply that cognitive presence tends to influence student performance, regardless of the varying levels of its manifestation.

scholarly journals Teaching, social, and cognitive presences and their relations to students’ characteristics and academic performance in blended learning courses in a Tanzanian University

Afrika Focus ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 31 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Mustapha Almasi ◽  
Chang Zhu ◽  
Haruni Machumu
Keyword(s):  
Academic Performance ◽  
Blended Learning ◽  
Social Presence ◽  
Age Groups ◽  
Cognitive Presence ◽  
Teaching Presence ◽  
Ict Skills ◽  
Face To Face ◽  
Gender And Age ◽  
Online Feedback

This study examines teaching, social, and cognitive presences in relation to students’ academic performance in blended learning courses in a Tanzanian university. The study involved 353 stu- dents and examined several aspects of blended learning including face-to-face lectures, online and offline group assignments, online feedback, discussions, and online messaging via Moodle. A community of inquiry survey was used to measure students’ perceptions of teaching, social, and cognitive presences. Performance scores consisted of students’ coursework and final exami- nation grades. The results showed no statistically significant differences in the reported scores of teaching, cognitive, and social presences based on gender and age groups. Students with more advanced ICT skills reported higher teaching, social, and cognitive presences. Reported teaching presence was significantly different among the blended learning courses. Teaching, social, and cognitive presences showed a positive correlation with each other. The conclusion shows that although positively correlated, social and cognitive presences were not predictors of students’ performance; however, ICT skills were important in the studied courses. Key words: teaching presence, social presence, cognitive presence, academic performance, blended learning

Fostering Social Presence in a Blended Learning Faculty Development Institute

2013 ◽  
pp. 374-388
Author(s):  
David S. Goldstein ◽  
Carol Leppa ◽  
Andreas Brockhaus ◽  
Rebecca Bliquez ◽  
Ian Porter
Keyword(s):  
Blended Learning ◽  
Social Presence ◽  
Community Of Inquiry ◽  
Faculty Members ◽  
Cognitive Presence ◽  
Teaching Presence ◽  
Course Development ◽  
Hybrid Course ◽  
Blended Courses ◽  
Development Institute

To help faculty develop well-designed blended courses, the Community of Inquiry (CoI) framework (Garrison, Anderson & Archer, 2000) was used to design and deliver a ten-week Hybrid Course Development Institute (HCDI) for faculty members from a variety of disciplines. The faculty experienced a blended format and developed courses based on the three components of the CoI framework: cognitive presence, teaching presence, and social presence, the last of which is particularly challenging to achieve. This chapter provides an overview of the HCDI structure, content, and assessment, and suggests ways to foster social presence in and beyond a blended learning institute for faculty members.

Skill acquisition in blended learning courses: influence on student performance

2016 ◽  
Vol 8 (1) ◽  
pp. 30 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mercedes Rozano ◽  
Jaime Romero
Keyword(s):  
Academic Performance ◽  
Blended Learning ◽  
Learning Outcomes ◽  
Student Performance ◽  
Skill Acquisition ◽  
Online Resources ◽  
Knowledge Application ◽  
Types Of Knowledge ◽  
E Learning ◽  
Learning Platforms

E-learning platforms are a powerful tool that provides substantial improvements in the academic performance and constitute an important support for the acquisition of skills. The purpose of this paper is to explore whether the usage of online resources in blended learning courses influences their performance. The data comes from a Business Administration course (256 students). We use regression analyses to explain how Moodle platform usage influences academic performance in terms of both types of skills (theoretical and practical). The intensity of resources usage and their variety influence learning outcomes. This influence is higher in theoretical skills than in practical, thus recommending using online resources for both types of knowledge and complementing the latter with offline resources. Keywords: skills assessment; academic performance; blended learning course; knowledge acquisition; knowledge application

scholarly journals Examining Student Experience of Blended Learning from the Perspective of the Community of Inquiry Framework

2015 ◽  
Vol 10 (2) ◽  
pp. 81-99 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jeanne Yuet Ching Lam*
Keyword(s):  
Blended Learning ◽  
Social Presence ◽  
Community Of Inquiry ◽  
Educational Experiences ◽  
Student Experience ◽  
Cognitive Presence ◽  
Teaching Presence ◽  
Study Approach ◽  
Constructivist Perspective ◽  
Community Of Inquiry Framework

Blended learning evolved from educational technology and it connects learning in and beyond the classroom. The Community of Inquiry (CoI) is a framework for blended learning from a socio-constructivist perspective in which learning is based on educational experiences in the environment with collaboration and interaction. The purpose of this paper is to explore student experience in a blended learning course from the viewpoint of the CoI. A case study approach using qualitative methods is used in the research. By examining the experiences of the students, social presence, cognitive presence and teaching presence were found. Although these three elements are required for educational experiences in blended learning, an unexpected issue about students' learning in the community without teaching presence was identified. This paper suggests that the role of learning autonomy and its relation to the community should be considered in the CoI framework. The value of this paper is that it confirms the elements in the CoI and proposes the addition of a new element in the framework.

The Relationship Between First-Year Learning Communities and Academic Performance in Introductory Psychology and Sociology

2021 ◽  
pp. 009862832110184
Author(s):  
Christine Ma-Kellams ◽  
Roy Kwon
Keyword(s):  
Academic Performance ◽  
Learning Communities ◽  
Learning Community ◽  
Student Performance ◽  
Introductory Psychology ◽  
First Year ◽  
Introductory Courses ◽  
First Year Students ◽  
The Social ◽  
The Relationship

Objective: How do learning communities influence academic performance in Introductory Psychology? Method: The present research examines the relationship between participation in first-year students learning communities and academic performance across a variety of course requirements (midterms, finals, papers, and class participation) in introductory psychology and, for comparison, sociology courses. Results: Students who took Introductory Psychology as part of a first-year-student learning community outperformed their peers (who took the same course without a learning community) on the first exam of the semester and were less likely to miss assignments but otherwise showed no significant differences on the other course assignments; introductory sociology students part of these communities showed even greater differences in performance that lasted through the end of the semester. Conclusion: First-year students learning communities offers significant albeit limited benefits for student performance in introductory courses in the social sciences. Teaching Implications: Short of institutional efforts to enact programming for first-year learning communities, introductory psychology instructors can attempt to simulate the experience of such communities by promoting a sense of belonging via extra-curricular service or discipline-related activities.

scholarly journals Face-to-face delivery this week; online the next: a reflection

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Ahesha Perera ◽  
Liz Rainsbury ◽  
Saman Bandara
Keyword(s):  
Online Learning ◽  
Student Engagement ◽  
Blended Learning ◽  
Positive Impact ◽  
Academic Staff ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Cognitive Presence ◽  
Teaching Presence ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Face To Face

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to reflect on the effects of online learning on student engagement as a result of a shift from face-to-face to online learning during the COVID-19 lockdown in New Zealand. Design/methodology/approach The reflection expresses the accounting lecturers’ observations and experiences of student engagement in online learning during the COVID-19 lockdown focussing on the three facets of student engagement; social presence, cognitive presence and teaching presence. Findings The focus on social and teaching presence in online learning by Unitec academic staff had a positive impact on cognitive presence as student course success rates and course ratings were similar to rates achieved from face-to-face delivery despite a rapid transition to online learning. Research limitations/implications This reflection is based on the experiences of three academic staff in one tertiary organisation. Practical implications The findings of this study can be helpful for tertiary institutions that are planning to adopt blended learning in the future. Academic staff may revisit teaching pedagogies to design new strategies and institutions may develop blended learning guidelines and tools to support academics to embrace blended learning. Social implications The reflection shows the respect, support and care provided by academics to students building a sense of belongingness and supporting students’ mental well-being in a period of fear and anxiety about COVID-19. Originality/value This is a reflection on students’ online engagement during the COVID-19 pandemic, which has not been addressed previously in the academic literature.

scholarly journals HOW BLENDED LEARNING CAN SUPPORT A FACULTY DEVELOPMENT COMMUNITY OF INQUIRY

2019 ◽  
Vol 10 (4) ◽  
Author(s):  
Norman Vaughan ◽  
Randy Garrison
Keyword(s):  
Faculty Development ◽  
Blended Learning ◽  
Learning Community ◽  
Community Of Inquiry ◽  
Teaching Presence ◽  
Open Communication ◽  
Face To Face ◽  
Online Discussion Forum ◽  
The Face ◽  
Over Time

This study focuses on understanding the social and teaching presence required to create a blended faculty development community of inquiry. Garrison, Anderson and Archer’s community of inquiry framework was used to analyze transcripts from the face-to-face and online sessions of a faculty learning community focused on blended learning course redesign. All three categories of social and teaching presence were detected in both forms of transcripts. The pattern of social comments changed considerably over time within the online discussion forum. The frequency of comments reflecting affective and open communication decreased while those with group cohesion increased dramatically. A similar trend was not observed within the face-to-face transcripts. In terms of teaching presence, the percentage of comments coded for design & organization and facilitating discourse decreased over time in both the face-to-face and online transcripts while comments containing an element of direct instruction increased considerably.

scholarly journals Emotional Presence in Building an Online Learning Community Among Non-traditional Graduate Students

2020 ◽  
Vol 24 (4) ◽  
Author(s):  
Mei Jiang ◽  
Katie Koo
Keyword(s):  
Online Learning ◽  
Graduate Students ◽  
Learning Community ◽  
Social Presence ◽  
Online Teaching ◽  
Teaching And Learning ◽  
Cognitive Presence ◽  
Teaching Presence ◽  
Online Learning Community ◽  
Students Satisfaction

The Community of Inquiry (CoI) framework posits that a collaborative online teaching and learning process can be achieved through three interdependent dimensions of presence: cognitive presence, social presence, and teaching presence. Emotion is considered an important factor in successful online learning. This study explored non-traditional graduate students’ perceived emotional presence that emerged in participants’ online learning experiences. Based on quantitative and qualitative data from 45 non-traditional graduate students in the field of education, the study showed that participants demonstrated both positive emotional expressions (e.g., enjoyment and happiness) and negative expressions (e.g., frustration and disappointment) in their responses. Emotional presence ratings were found be significantly lower than cognitive, teaching, and social presence ratings. Emotions serving different functions were also identified in responses. Direct affectiveness surfaced where participants showed a strong emotional need to make connections with instructors and peers. Outcome emotions were also identified where participants showed emotional responses in regard to their eventual learning outcome. We also found emotional presence by itself a significant predictor of non-traditional graduate students’ satisfaction with online learning. Implications for research and practice are discussed.

scholarly journals Teaching, social, and cognitive presences and their relations to students’ characteristics and academic performance in blended learning courses in a Tanzanian University

Afrika Focus ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 31 (1) ◽  
pp. 73-89
Author(s):  
Mustapha Almasi ◽  
Chang Zhu ◽  
Haruni Machumu
Keyword(s):  
Academic Performance ◽  
Blended Learning ◽  
Community Of Inquiry ◽  
Age Groups ◽  
Teaching Presence ◽  
Final Examination ◽  
Ict Skills ◽  
Face To Face ◽  
Gender And Age ◽  
Online Feedback

This study examines teaching, social, and cognitive presences in relation to students’ academic performance in blended learning courses in a Tanzanian university. The study involved 353 students and examined several aspects of blended learning including face-to-face lectures, online and offline group assignments, online feedback, discussions, and online messaging via Moodle. A community of inquiry survey was used to measure students’ perceptions of teaching, social, and cognitive presences. Performance scores consisted of students’ coursework and final examination grades. The results showed no statistically significant differences in the reported scores of teaching, cognitive, and social presences based on gender and age groups. Students with more advanced ICT skills reported higher teaching, social, and cognitive presences. Reported teaching presence was significantly different among the blended learning courses. Teaching, social, and cognitive presences showed a positive correlation with each other. The conclusion shows that although positively correlated, social and cognitive presences were not predictors of students’ performance; however, ICT skills were important in the studied courses.

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