Learning CoI by role-playing online discussions
Computer-science students practicing Community of Inquiry roles in asynchronous forums enacted all presence types, but struggled to reach resolution-level critical thinking.
Source
Experiencing the community of inquiry framework using asynchronous online role-playing in computer-aided instruction class
Study at a glance
- Design
- Qualitative / archival — Transcript, reflection, and questionnaire analysis of voluntary CoI role-play forums
- N
- N=63 · 63 CAI students; 22 voluntarily shared reflection experiences
- Population
- Computer-aided instruction students at Universitas Indonesia
- Outcome
- Enactment of CoI presence types and depth of critical thinking in asynchronous role-play
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Learning CoI by role-playing online discussions
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22 of 63 students voluntarily shared experiences in reflection focus
22 out of 63 students were voluntarily conveying their experiences.
What framework were students learning to apply?
The objective is for students to be able to apply the CoI framework in an asynchronous online collaborative learning environment.
What they did
CAI students at Universitas Indonesia voluntarily engaged in asynchronous online role-playing to apply the Community of Inquiry (CoI) framework. Researchers analyzed discussion transcripts, reflections, and questionnaires to examine teaching, social, and cognitive presence patterns and students’ perceptions.
What they found
Students implemented all CoI components, with social presence easiest to perform and feel immediately. Critical thinking often did not reach the resolution stage; groups produced discussion outputs without consistently applying all CoI sub-indicators, especially evaluating and directing discussions.
The limits
What it doesn't show
Voluntary role-play with limited instructor intervention in one CAI course cannot prove CoI role-play outperforms other discussion pedagogies. Patterns may not transfer to larger, graded, or fully instructor-led online courses.
Key terms
- Community of Inquiry (CoI)
- A framework describing teaching, social, and cognitive presence needed for meaningful online collaborative learning.
- Social presence
- Learners projecting themselves as real people in the online community.
- Teaching presence
- Design, facilitation, and direction of cognitive and social processes for learning.
- Cognitive presence
- The extent to which learners construct meaning through sustained reflection and discourse.
- Resolution
- A late cognitive-presence stage where solutions are defended or new knowledge is applied in another context.
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Quiz yourself
What pedagogy did students use to learn CoI?
Common questions
What activity did students do?
Asynchronous online role-playing to practice CoI in collaborative discussion.
Which presence was easiest?
Social presence—students could feel its effects immediately.
Did students reach deep critical thinking?
Often not to the resolution level.
Was participation mandatory?
Participation and role-playing enactment were voluntary.
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