VOL. 25, No. 3
E-Learning in the 21st Century provides a comprehensive examination of the theoretical foundations, best practices, and principles of e-learning. The book is well-organized and the writing is clear and concise.
In the section on best practices, Garrison explains all of the effective guidelines for e-learning that I have come across in the past few. For example, his explanation of the Community of Inquiry framework grounded in Social Presence, Cognitive Presence, and Teaching Presence is essential for anyone entering this field. As suggested in this book, many instructors in higher education are now taking a blended learning approach to their classes, with some of their lectures being delivered face-to-face and some material being delivered in an online platform. New and emerging technologies have the potential to change significantly higher education and educators need to understand how to use these technologies effectively in their teaching, and adopt best practices, as outlined in this text, to create a community of learners. This could be emphasized a little more in the section on Future Directions.
In the second half of the book, Garrison focuses on to the actual mechanics of creating an environment conducive to the Community of Inquiry model. Even though previous research supported the use of Blended Learning as the optimal model for a learning environment in higher education, it is still useful to read all of the current research that Garrison included to bolster this finding. However, as he continued with Guidelines for Practice, some of the information from the first half of the book is repeated, particularly with regard to providing a practical framework. Nonetheless, the numbered lists included in the chapter on Guidelines for Practice were excellent summaries of the content and provide the necessary toolkit for new instructors using this medium. In addition, Garrison’s discussion on the issue of creating the right balance of teaching presence is informative. Generally, the most effective online courses are ones where the instructor is able to create a constructive and collaborative community of learners, where everyone feels they have a voice, and guidelines to professionalism are clearly established by the instructor from the outset. Garrison effectively addressed all of these points in his book. One question that kept surfacing was whether the e-learning environment in professional and graduate programs is different from undergraduate programs. That is, do Social, Cognitive, and Teaching Presence change the Community of Inquiry model for those enrolled in professional or post-graduate studies? Perhaps this issue should be addressed in the section on future directions.
The fact that a whole chapter dedicated to Assessment and Evaluation was included in this book is impressive. At the beginning of this section, though, Garrison includes a relatively dated reference (Rowntree, 1977). As in all areas of education, the tools we use for assessment and evaluation must match that which we are trying to assess. Garrison does a good job pointing out that in an e-learning environment, one focus should be the assessment of collaborative learning. In particular, the section on Assessing Participation is both current and comprehensive. Further, all sample charts included in this chapter provide excellent examples and illustrate how an instructor can begin the development of an effective assessment strategy. As Garrison explains, the topic of ‘best practices’ in Assessment and Evaluation is an area that will continue to be examined and refined as e-learning evolves.
Overall, this book is extremely informative, current, and comprehensive. In particular, Garrison does an excellent job of covering the breadth of this important topic. This is essential reading for anyone in higher education who is interested in the theoretical foundations, best practices, and principles associated with an e-learning environment. Garrison has provided a solid foundation of our current understanding of this topic and suggests areas of future research, where there is still much to learn.
Tina Benevides is an Assistant Professor–Language & Literacy, Schulich School of Education, Nipissing University. E-mail: tinab@nipissingu.ca