Cognitive Presence

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Cognitive Presence
For Effective Asynchronous Online Learning
Randy Garrison, Professor Director, Learning
Commons
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Purpose

• Demonstrate that asynchronous online learning can
  present a rich cognitive presence capable of
  supporting effective, higher-order learning
  outcomes.

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Outline

• Identify properties of asynchronous online
  learning
• Identify dimensions of higher-order learning
• Explore the congruence of the properties and
  dimensions
• Explore implications for learning effectiveness

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Properties of AOL

• Connectivity
• interaction, discourse
• Asynchronicity
• independence, reflection
• Communication
• text, visuals, voice

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Framework

• A community of inquiry provides the
  organizational framework to guide the research
  and practice of asynchronous online learning
  (i.e., e-learning)

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Community of Inquiry

• A community of inquiry is based upon discourse
  and the security to explore and challenge ideas
• CoI is an ideal of higher education
• It bridges the private reflective world of the
  individual and public shared world of society

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Community of Inquiry

• The importance of a community of inquiry is that,
  while the objective of critical reflection is
  intellectual autonomy, in reality, critical
  reflection is thoroughly social and communal.
• Lipman, 1991

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Cognitive Presence

• The extent to which learners are able to
  construct and confirm meaning through sustained
  reflection and discourse in a critical community
  of inquiry.
• Garrison, Anderson Archer, 2000

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Cognitive Presence

• Cognitive presence is defined by a community of
  inquiry for the purposes of achieving
  higher-order learning.

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Higher-Order Learning

• In turn, higher-order learning is informed
  largely by the constructs of reflective inquiry,
  self-directed or regulated learning, and
  metacognition.

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Higher-Order Thinking

• thinking that is conceptually rich, coherently
  organized, and persistently exploratory.
• Lipman, 1991, p. 19

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Reflective Inquiry

• How shall we treat subject matter so that it
  will rank as material of reflective inquiry
• Dewey, 1933

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Reflective Inquiry Dimensions

• Reflection and action are the essential elements
  and dimensions of reflective inquiry

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SDL Defined

• SDL is an approach where learners are motivated
  to assume personal responsibility and
  collaborative control of the contextual and
  cognitive processes involved in constructing
  meaningful and worthwhile learning outcomes.

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Self-Directed Learning

• Key dimensions are
• monitoring (cognitive strategies and outcomes)
  and
• managing (task control issues) the learning
  process.

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Metacognitive Awareness

• When the fish begins to think about the water.
• M. McLuhan

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Metacognition

• It is generally recognized that metacognition
  captures two essential features self-appraisal
  and self-management of cognition.
• Paris Winograd, 1990, p. 17

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Metacognition

• Knowledge and control of self (i.e.,
  self-monitoring)
• Knowledge and control of process (i.e.,
  self-management)
• Marzano et al. (1988)

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Common Properties of HOL

• Reflection, monitoring and knowledge
• Collaboration, management and discourse

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Link to AOL

• The higher-order learning dimensions, reflection
  and collaboration, correspond well to the core
  properties of online learning asynchronicity
  and connectivity.
• The asynchronous yet connected properties of
  online learning encourage reflection and
  opportunities for collaboration.

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LEARNING EFFECTIVENESS

• Capitalizing on the integration of online
  learning and the dimensions of higher-order
  learning (i.e., creating cognitive presence
  online).

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Effectiveness Issues

• Much of the research to date has been on teaching
  and social presence
• The key is to focus on the unique synergy of the
  asynchronous and connectivity properties
• Use right to left thinking
• Seriously address workload assessment

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Effective Practices - Reflection

• Understand and utilize the characteristics of
  text-based communication effectively
• Hook students on the big idea
• Model reflective inquiry, SDL and metacognition

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Effective Practices - Collaboration

• Sustained, permanent discourse unlike time
  limited fleeting verbal dialogue
• Establish a community of inquiry (i.e., cognitive
  social and teaching presence)
• Small group discussions

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CONCLUSION

• Get beyond imitating traditional approaches to
  teaching learning
• Understand the multiplicative properties of
  asynchronous online learning (AOL)
• To capitalize on AOL properties, the focus must
  turn to cognitive presence and higher-order
  learning