Topic 4 has come and gone, and it is time to reflect on the past two weeks of the ONL course. My focus will be on the Community of Inquiry model as discussed by Vaughan, Cleveland-Innes and Garrison (2013) in the book, Teaching in blended learning environments: creating and sustaining communities of inquiry.

Emotional Intelligence

Defined as “the ability to identify and manage one’s own emotions as well as the emotions of others” (Psychology Today, 2019).

Emotional Presence

Summed up as emotions that are present, even in the online space. Emotion cannot be considered separate from the learning environment (Vaughan, Cleveland-Innes & Garrison, 2013).

Community of Inquiry = Social Presence + Cognitive Presence + Teaching Presence (with Emotional Presence throughout)

Social Presence means creating an environment where trust, open communication and group cohesion can take place. How the lecturer projects themselves and expresses emotion is important and will have an impact on the way the students learn.

It is an interesting concept to consider that how I behave or speak in an online space will either lead the participants to engage or disengage with the topic (feeling positive or negative towards it based on personal interactions). There are so many aspects to take into account before a person starts to facilitate an online learning course. Community of Inquiry is something to keep in mind for the future.

References:

Psychology Today. 2019. Emotional Intelligence. [Online]. Available at: https://www.psychologytoday.com/za/basics/emotional-intelligence (Accessed on 2 December 2019).

Vaughan, N.D., Cleveland-Innes, M., and Garrison, D.R. (2013). Teaching in blended learning environments: creating and sustaining communities of inquiry. Edmonton: AU Press. Chapter 1 “The Community of Inquiry Conceptual Framework”.