{"id":63,"date":"2018-06-06T14:18:43","date_gmt":"2018-06-06T18:18:43","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/pressbooks.bccampus.ca\/learningtolearnonline\/?post_type=chapter&p=63"},"modified":"2018-08-10T17:45:15","modified_gmt":"2018-08-10T21:45:15","slug":"define-your-learning-community","status":"publish","type":"chapter","link":"https:\/\/pressbooks.bccampus.ca\/learningtolearnonline\/chapter\/define-your-learning-community\/","title":{"raw":"Define your learning community","rendered":"Define your learning community"},"content":{"raw":"When you join an online course, you become part of what is known as a Community of Inquiry.\u00a0 In the Community of Inquiry, you will have an Instructor, content to process, and a learning community in which to grow.\r\n\r\nThis is a learning community that fosters your learning (cognitive growth), in a way that allows you to apply new insights to your life and work.\u00a0 Within a Community of Inquiry, learners have two key roles:\r\n
    \r\n \t
  1. Maintaining a cognitive presence in the community.\u00a0 This requires a continual process of critical thinking.<\/li>\r\n \t
  2. Developing a social presence in the learning community.\u00a0 This involves creating the open and mutual relationships that allow for learning and collaboration to occur.<\/li>\r\n<\/ol>\r\n[caption id=\"attachment_185\" align=\"alignleft\" width=\"300\"]\"Community<\/a> Image Credit: Rawia Inaim. Adapted from: https:\/\/coi.athabascau.ca\/coi-model\/[\/caption]\r\n\r\nCognitive Presence and Critical Thinking<\/strong>\r\n\r\nHow does learning happen?\u00a0 Is it the result of reading, memorizing, and taking exams?\u00a0 While many learning experiences have these components, the best kind of learning involves constructing new knowledge in a learning community.\u00a0 This requires interacting with new information (for example, from readings, discussions, videos, and lectures).\u00a0 You\u00a0 may receive this information with instructors, from fellow students, or you may search it out to solve questions or problems.\u00a0 Then, together with your learning community, you make connections between this new knowledge and your prior experiences.\u00a0 You also determine how this new knowledge will shape your professional practice.\r\n\r\nThe Community of Inquiry supports this process through the exchange of ideas, supporting one another exploring connections, and challenging ways of thinking through thoughtful questioning.\r\n\r\nSocial Presence<\/strong>\r\n\r\nIf learning occurs in a collaborative community, how does this take place online?\u00a0 Maintaining a social presence in an online environment involves allowing for open communication.\u00a0 Social presence allows you to risk expressing your ideas online, based on the knowledge that your classmates will be respectful and supportive.\u00a0 All members of the community commit to supporting each other in their learning.\u00a0 Though it may be difficult to express some nuances and emotions online, using emoticons can help.\u00a0[footnote]Athabasca University. (n.d.). Community of inquiry coding template<\/em>. Retrieved from http:\/\/cde.athabascau.ca\/coi_site\/documents\/Coding%20Template.pdf; Garrison, D. R., Anderson, T., & Archer, W. (1999). Critical Inquiry in a Text-Based Environment: Computer Conferencing in Higher Education. The Internet and Higher Education<\/em>, 2(2\u20133), 87\u2013105. https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1016\/S1096-7516(00)00016-6[\/footnote]\r\n\r\nGroup work is also a key part of the Community of Inquiry experience.\u00a0 The best online learning experiences happen when you are able to form connections within a team as you work towards your learning goals.\u00a0 The next sections of this module provide strategies for developing your learning community in the context of group work and team development.\r\n\r\n[h5p id=\"16\"]\r\n\r\n ","rendered":"

    When you join an online course, you become part of what is known as a Community of Inquiry.\u00a0 In the Community of Inquiry, you will have an Instructor, content to process, and a learning community in which to grow.<\/p>\n

    This is a learning community that fosters your learning (cognitive growth), in a way that allows you to apply new insights to your life and work.\u00a0 Within a Community of Inquiry, learners have two key roles:<\/p>\n

      \n
    1. Maintaining a cognitive presence in the community.\u00a0 This requires a continual process of critical thinking.<\/li>\n
    2. Developing a social presence in the learning community.\u00a0 This involves creating the open and mutual relationships that allow for learning and collaboration to occur.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n
      \"Community<\/a>
      Image Credit: Rawia Inaim. Adapted from: https:\/\/coi.athabascau.ca\/coi-model\/<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

      Cognitive Presence and Critical Thinking<\/strong><\/p>\n

      How does learning happen?\u00a0 Is it the result of reading, memorizing, and taking exams?\u00a0 While many learning experiences have these components, the best kind of learning involves constructing new knowledge in a learning community.\u00a0 This requires interacting with new information (for example, from readings, discussions, videos, and lectures).\u00a0 You\u00a0 may receive this information with instructors, from fellow students, or you may search it out to solve questions or problems.\u00a0 Then, together with your learning community, you make connections between this new knowledge and your prior experiences.\u00a0 You also determine how this new knowledge will shape your professional practice.<\/p>\n

      The Community of Inquiry supports this process through the exchange of ideas, supporting one another exploring connections, and challenging ways of thinking through thoughtful questioning.<\/p>\n

      Social Presence<\/strong><\/p>\n

      If learning occurs in a collaborative community, how does this take place online?\u00a0 Maintaining a social presence in an online environment involves allowing for open communication.\u00a0 Social presence allows you to risk expressing your ideas online, based on the knowledge that your classmates will be respectful and supportive.\u00a0 All members of the community commit to supporting each other in their learning.\u00a0 Though it may be difficult to express some nuances and emotions online, using emoticons can help.\u00a0[1]<\/sup><\/a><\/p>\n

      Group work is also a key part of the Community of Inquiry experience.\u00a0 The best online learning experiences happen when you are able to form connections within a team as you work towards your learning goals.\u00a0 The next sections of this module provide strategies for developing your learning community in the context of group work and team development.<\/p>\n

      \n