View in EDS PDF Full Text

Teaching Presence in Online Discussions: Implications for Design.

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Title: Teaching Presence in Online Discussions: Implications for Design.
Authors: Quest, Mary1
Source: Journal of the Scholarship of Teaching & Learning. Sep2025, Vol. 25 Issue 3, p147-165. 19p.
Subject Terms: *Community of inquiry, *Instructional systems design, *Theory of knowledge, *Team learning approach in education, *Student engagement, *Internet forums, Activity theory (Sociology)
Abstract: This case study examines online discussions using Activity Theory to understand the contributions of individuals to the process of socially constructing knowledge within groups. The Community of Inquiry model integrates social, cognitive, and teaching presence within online discussions. While it is recognized that each participant can contribute to group learning, teaching presence on the part of students is rarely examined. How does teaching presence on the part of individuals contribute to the social construction of knowledge in online discussions? A total of 334 messages from 27 participants are coded for evidence of presence at the individual level and phases of construction of knowledge at the group level, allowing for multi-level comparative analyses. Data reveal that students do engage in teaching presence within online discussions, and that this is beneficial for the social construction of knowledge. This has implications for the design of online discussions and for instructor presence within discussions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
Copyright of Journal of the Scholarship of Teaching & Learning is the property of Journal of the Scholarship of Teaching & Learning and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites without the copyright holder's express written permission. Additionally, content may not be used with any artificial intelligence tools or machine learning technologies. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)
Database: Education Research Complete
Description
Abstract:This case study examines online discussions using Activity Theory to understand the contributions of individuals to the process of socially constructing knowledge within groups. The Community of Inquiry model integrates social, cognitive, and teaching presence within online discussions. While it is recognized that each participant can contribute to group learning, teaching presence on the part of students is rarely examined. How does teaching presence on the part of individuals contribute to the social construction of knowledge in online discussions? A total of 334 messages from 27 participants are coded for evidence of presence at the individual level and phases of construction of knowledge at the group level, allowing for multi-level comparative analyses. Data reveal that students do engage in teaching presence within online discussions, and that this is beneficial for the social construction of knowledge. This has implications for the design of online discussions and for instructor presence within discussions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
ISSN:15279316
DOI:10.14434/josotl.v25i3.39685