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Article Excerpt
Abstract
Facilitating meaningful discussions in a blended, inquiry-based course is a challenge for instructors and learners alike. Little is known about the discussion process in blended courses, and learners often have difficulty adapting to inquiry-based instruction. One way to maximize learning through discussion in such a course is by using the Community of Inquiry framework, which assumes learning occurs through the interaction of teaching presence, social presence, and cognitive presence.
Introduction
Blended learning is transforming higher education (Dziuban, Moskal, & Hartman, 2005). Characterized as a "sleeping giant," blended learning is a largely unrecognized trend with major implications for pedagogical practices and research (Mayadas, Bourne, & Moore, 2005, p. 1; Garrison & Kanuka, 2004). Blended courses typically combine face-to-face meetings with online discussions (Allen & Seaman, 2003), which can facilitate connections among students in learning communities or communities of inquiry (Aspden & Helm, 2004). Sutman (2000) defines inquiry as the process of asking relevant questions about issues for which there are no predetermined answers, and he regards discussion as a natural part of the inquiry process. The discussion technique is often used to help learners become critically informed about a topic or issue (Brookfield & Preskill, 1999). Much has been written about the discussion method in face-to-face environments (Ge & Land, 2003; Redfield & Rousseau, 1981). There is far less empirical research about discussion in online higher education environments (Bonk, & King, 1998; Kanuka & Anderson, 1998), particularly in blended courses (Heckman & Annabi, 2002; Schweizer, Paechter, & Weidenmann, 2003).
Despite the advantages of discussion in facilitating critical thinking and knowledge construction, inquiry approaches are not widely practiced (Duffey & Kirkley, 2004). Reasons range from the increased time it takes for instructors to facilitate discussions appropriately to the difficulty learners have in adapting to inquiry-based learning (Madill, Amort-Larson, Wilson, Brintnell, Taylor, & Esmail, 2001; Plowright & Watkins, 2004). If learners have difficulty adapting, why do instructors risk disengagement by using discussion postings and commentary as a primary instructional strategy; and how can discussions in a blended environment maximize the learning that takes place? For the past four years, we have talked to learners about their experiences in a blended course about the philosophical and historical roots of adult education in America. Focus group interviews and end-of-term questionnaires were the primary means of gathering information about learners' perceptions. In this article, we will share learner insights as well as our research findings and recommendations about how to help learners adapt to a blended, inquiry-based environment and to help make their discussions more meaningful.
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