ERIC Number: EJ872926
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2010-Jan
Pages: 3
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-1096-7516
EISSN: N/A
The Relationship between Course Socio-Epistemological Orientations and Student Perceptions of Community of Inquiry
Akyol, Zehra; Ice, Phil; Garrison, Randy; Mitchell, Rob
Internet and Higher Education, v13 n1-2 p66-68 Jan 2010
The Community of Inquiry Framework is based on the premise that online learning is a collaborative constructivist activity. However, not all courses are similarly oriented. In general, courses can be divided into constructivist and objectivist. In constructivist courses, learners develop solutions to problems through sustained discourse and inquiry, making the learning a function of interaction with other learners. In objectivist courses, truths are considered absolute and learning is more heavily weighted toward interaction with content. This study examines the impact that these differing orientations have on student perceptions of community of inquiry by examining the factor patterns of courses characterized along two dimensions--objectivist/constructivist and individual/collaborative. The findings reveal that learner age may be one of the most significant determinants of whether and how course orientation is perceived. (Contains 1 table.)
Descriptors: Electronic Learning, Constructivism (Learning), Distance Education, Online Courses, Interaction, Epistemology, Age Differences, Communities of Practice, Inquiry, Models, Student Attitudes, Classroom Environment, Virtual Classrooms, Internet, College Students, College Instruction, Higher Education, Teaching Methods, Cooperation, Educational Philosophy, Correlation, Factor Structure
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Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Evaluative
Education Level: Higher Education; Postsecondary Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A