Reflect on the theories related to online communication and the means by which your seminar facilitation employed them. If it didn't, why? What is important here is to connect the theories we've explored as part of this course (and maybe some from the previous two courses) to your own philosophy and practice.
The Five-Stage Model and the Community of Inquiry
Building online education communities requires both learner and teacher to work together through the learning process. Gilly Salmon’s Five-Stage Model of Online Learning and the Community of Inquiry Model (CoI) serve as references for online teachers, both new and experienced. Salmon’s model of online learning breaks down e-learning into these 5 stages: Access and Motivation, Online Socialization, Information Exchange, Knowledge Construction and Development (Salmon, 2003). As each of these stages progresses, the amount of activity of the e-moderator and the e-learner either decreases or increases (see Figure 2). The CoI Model develops a "deep, meaningful learning experience" through 3 presences: Social, Teaching and Cognitive (see Figure 1). Social Presence is “the ability of participants to identify with the community,” while Cognitive Presence is the “extent to which learners are able to construct and confirm meaning through sustained reflection and discourse”. Teaching Presence ties them all together through “design, facilitation, and direction of cognitive and social processes for the purpose of realizing personally meaningful and educationally worthwhile learning outcomes.” Each of these presences is interconnected and relies on the other in order to sustain a learning community (CoI, 2012).
The CoI can be recognized in each of Salmon’s five stages to varying degrees, but not without limitations. Although Salmon provides a bullet list of how to be a successful e-moderator (see Figure 3), progression through the stages is lacking when compared to the CoI’s definition of Teaching Presence. She suggests that after stage 3, the learners rely more on each other through collaborative e-tivities. Therefore, “the teacher doesn’t have to log on so often” (Salmon). Because the teacher is no longer the main source of information, they are less needed and can be less available online. The teacher becomes less involved in the learning process; the responsibility of learning is solely on the student allowing the e-moderator to only respond when required. As an educator, I struggle with this concept. Granted, the a student should exhibit a degree of agency, but the teacher still acts as a resource, focussing discussion and monitoring progress.
Maintaining a consistent online Teaching Presence, according to the CoI, is crucial to keeping Social and Cognitive Presences alive. Although collaboration ultimately results in an increased social sense of belonging and student-student information exchange, a diminished Teaching Presence reduces deep learning. The initial role of the teacher may shift from presenting information, learning activities and content to facilitating discussion and acting as a resource very soon after a course begins, but retains the role of the guide on the side throughout the course. In my practice, I value the social and cognitive aspects of online programming in order to meet prescribed outcomes. I have come to realize the importance of developing a stronger Teaching Presence in order to facilitate discourse and build understanding.
The Five-Stage Model stresses that e-moderator presence decreases as student activity increases, encouraging student engagement and motivation. “Structured, paced and carefully constructed e-tivities reduce the amount of e-moderator time, and directly affect satisfactory learning outcomes, adding value to the investment” (Salmon). Instructional design and organization are directly related to the presence of the moderator. This is what influences course satisfaction, not an absent facilitator. According to the CoI Model, Teaching Presence facilitates Social and Cognitive Presence work together to foster information exchange. In my practice, I will continue to meticulously develop and design curriculum and resources through strengthening a my presence as a facilitator. I see the value in the Five-Stages. As students gain autonomy and collaborate, they construct knowledge, but a gradually decreased presence on the part of the moderator is not the strength of this model. Despite this conflict, these 2 models can be used as scaffolding in reference to sustaining online programming and building (virtual) communities.
Reflect on the theories related to online communication and the means by which your seminar facilitation employed them. If it didn't, why? What is important here is to connect the theories we've explored as part of this course (and maybe some from the previous two courses) to your own philosophy and practice.
The Five-Stage Model and the Community of Inquiry
Building online education communities requires both learner and teacher to work together through the learning process. Gilly Salmon’s Five-Stage Model of Online Learning and the Community of Inquiry Model (CoI) serve as references for online teachers, both new and experienced. Salmon’s model of online learning breaks down e-learning into these 5 stages: Access and Motivation, Online Socialization, Information Exchange, Knowledge Construction and Development (Salmon, 2003). As each of these stages progresses, the amount of activity of the e-moderator and the e-learner either decreases or increases (see Figure 2). The CoI Model develops a "deep, meaningful learning experience" through 3 presences: Social, Teaching and Cognitive (see Figure 1). Social Presence is “the ability of participants to identify with the community,” while Cognitive Presence is the “extent to which learners are able to construct and confirm meaning through sustained reflection and discourse”. Teaching Presence ties them all together through “design, facilitation, and direction of cognitive and social processes for the purpose of realizing personally meaningful and educationally worthwhile learning outcomes.” Each of these presences is interconnected and relies on the other in order to sustain a learning community (CoI, 2012).
The CoI can be recognized in each of Salmon’s five stages to varying degrees, but not without limitations. Although Salmon provides a bullet list of how to be a successful e-moderator (see Figure 3), progression through the stages is lacking when compared to the CoI’s definition of Teaching Presence. She suggests that after stage 3, the learners rely more on each other through collaborative e-tivities. Therefore, “the teacher doesn’t have to log on so often” (Salmon). Because the teacher is no longer the main source of information, they are less needed and can be less available online. The teacher becomes less involved in the learning process; the responsibility of learning is solely on the student allowing the e-moderator to only respond when required. As an educator, I struggle with this concept. Granted, the a student should exhibit a degree of agency, but the teacher still acts as a resource, focussing discussion and monitoring progress.
Maintaining a consistent online Teaching Presence, according to the CoI, is crucial to keeping Social and Cognitive Presences alive. Although collaboration ultimately results in an increased social sense of belonging and student-student information exchange, a diminished Teaching Presence reduces deep learning. The initial role of the teacher may shift from presenting information, learning activities and content to facilitating discussion and acting as a resource very soon after a course begins, but retains the role of the guide on the side throughout the course. In my practice, I value the social and cognitive aspects of online programming in order to meet prescribed outcomes. I have come to realize the importance of developing a stronger Teaching Presence in order to facilitate discourse and build understanding.
The Five-Stage Model stresses that e-moderator presence decreases as student activity increases, encouraging student engagement and motivation. “Structured, paced and carefully constructed e-tivities reduce the amount of e-moderator time, and directly affect satisfactory learning outcomes, adding value to the investment” (Salmon). Instructional design and organization are directly related to the presence of the moderator. This is what influences course satisfaction, not an absent facilitator. According to the CoI Model, Teaching Presence facilitates Social and Cognitive Presence work together to foster information exchange. In my practice, I will continue to meticulously develop and design curriculum and resources through strengthening a my presence as a facilitator. I see the value in the Five-Stages. As students gain autonomy and collaborate, they construct knowledge, but a gradually decreased presence on the part of the moderator is not the strength of this model. Despite this conflict, these 2 models can be used as scaffolding in reference to sustaining online programming and building (virtual) communities.
References:
Salmon, G. (2003). The Five-Stage Model. Retrieved from http://itlc.science.ku.dk/ressourcer/rapport/model/
Community of Inquiry. (2012). Retrieved from https://coi.athabascau.ca