Employing a Community of Inquiry Framework to Understand Graduate Students' Perceptions of Supports in Asynchronous Online Courses Focused on Assessment

Abstract

As universities increase the number of online course offerings, the quality of programs is often called into question. In many instances, student input is not solicited when devising online course offerings and faculty often lack the training needed to devise a supportive online learning environment. The purpose of this qualitative study was to examine the supports that graduate students experience in an online graduate program focused on assessment practices for students with disabilities. The community of inquiry framework was used to examine the combination of social, teaching and cognitive presence. Findings from the study suggest that establishing and maintaining a vibrant learning community is invaluable to students and that professors must demonstrate a commitment to being accessible, responsive, and flexible while maintaining structure and consistency in courses.

Keywords

• community of inquiry
• learning community
• video-modeling