Vol. 27 No. 1 (2013)
Research Articles

Cognitive Presence in A Virtual Learning Community: An EFL Case

Sayyed Mohammad Alavi
University of Tehran
Mahboubeh Taghizadeh
University of Tehran

Published 2013-07-12

Keywords

  • community of inquiry,
  • cognitive presence,
  • social presence,
  • teaching presence

How to Cite

Alavi, S. M., & Taghizadeh, M. (2013). Cognitive Presence in A Virtual Learning Community: An EFL Case. International Journal of E-Learning & Distance Education Revue Internationale Du E-Learning Et La Formation à Distance, 27(1). Retrieved from https://ijede.ca/index.php/jde/article/view/818

Abstract

This study aimed to investigate the existence of cognitive presence as one of the elements of Community of Inquiry framework in virtual centers of undergraduate students of science and technology. To achieve the purpose of this study, first a questionnaire was uniquely developed on the basis of the suggestions made in the literature reviewing the indicators of cognitive element of CoI framework. The questionnaire was then administered to undergraduate students (N=107) who were studying a technical or a technological course in the Iran University of Science and Technology and Khajeh Nasir Toosi University of Technology. The analysis of the questionnaire data showed that (a) considering the categories, Exploration and Resolution categories appeared more frequently than others in virtual centers of the present study. (b) The indicators of Divergence, Information exchange, and Applying new ideas were hierarchically frequent. In order to promote and sustain cognitive presence, this study suggests virtual language educators to incorporate the indicators of cognitive presence into their classroom context.

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