1. Online Learning Communities: A Vision of the Future of Vanderbilt

2. If we teach today’s students as we taught yesterday’s, we rob them of tomorrow. John Dewey Educational Reformer 1858 – 1952

3. Categories of Learning Environments

4. Online Enrollment in Higher Ed
Allen, E. I., Seaman, J., & Straut, T. T. (2016). Online report card: Tracking online education in the
United States. Babson Park, MA: Babson Survey Research Group.

5. Online Learning in Higher Education
More than one in four higher ed students enrolled in at least one of their courses online in Fall of 2014.
More than one in seven higher ed students took all of their courses exclusively online in Fall of 2014.
Poulin, R., & Straut, T. T. (2016). WCET distance education enrollment report. Boulder, CO:
WICHE Cooperative for Educational Technologies.

6. Online Line Programs Deemed Critical
Allen, E. I., Seaman, J., & Straut, T. T. (2016). Online report card: Tracking online education in the
United States. Babson Park, MA: Babson Survey Research Group.

7. Online Graduate Degrees at Peabody

8. “Sense of Community”
“...a feeling that members have of belonging, a feeling that members matter to one another and to the group, and a shared faith that members’ needs will be met through their commitment to be together.”
McMillan, D. W., & Chavis, D. M. (1986). Sense of community: A definition and theory.
Journal of Community Psychology, 14(1), 6-23.

9. Elements of “Sense of Community”
Membership
Influence
Integration and fulfillment of needs
Shared emotional connection
See also: Sense of Community Index

10. What’s the difference between change and progress?
Research Opportunity
What’s the difference between change and progress?
Progress requires measurement and comparison.

11. “Community of Inquiry”
INTERACTION
W/PEERS
INTERACTION
W/CONTENT
LEARNING
INTERACTION
W/INSTRUCTOR
Garrison, D. R., Anderson, T., & Archer, W. (2000). Critical inquiry in a text-based
environment. Computer Conferencing in Higher Education, 2, 87–105.

12. “Community of Inquiry”
Supporting
Discourse
INTERACTION
W/PEERS
INTERACTION
W/CONTENT
LEARNING
Setting
Climate
Selecting
Content
INTERACTION
W/INSTRUCTOR
Garrison, D. R., Anderson, T., & Archer, W. (2000). Critical inquiry in a text-based
environment. Computer Conferencing in Higher Education, 2, 87–105.

13. “Community of Inquiry”
SOCIAL
PRESENCE
COGNITIVE
PRESENCE
TEACHING
PRESENCE
Garrison, D. R., Anderson, T., & Archer, W. (2000). Critical inquiry in a text-based
environment. Computer Conferencing in Higher Education, 2, 87–105.

14. Teaching Presence (Learner-Instructor)
“The instructors’ ability to project themselves in online courses.”
Garrison, D. R., Anderson, T., & Archer, W. (2000). Critical inquiry in a text-based
environment. Computer Conferencing in Higher Education, 2, 87–105.

15. Cognitive Presence (Learner-Content)
“The ability of a community of learners to construct meaning through sustained communication. It develops as students collaborate to explore, construct, resolve, and confirm their understanding of content.”
Garrison, D. R., Anderson, T., & Archer, W. (2000). Critical inquiry in a text-based
environment. Computer Conferencing in Higher Education, 2, 87–105.

16. Social Presence (Learner-Learner)
“The ability of participants in a community of inquiry to project themselves socially and emotionally, as ‘real’ people (i.e., their full personality), through the medium of communication being used.”
Garrison, D. R., Anderson, T., & Archer, W. (2000). Critical inquiry in a text-based
environment. Computer Conferencing in Higher Education, 2, 87–105.

17. Building a Sense of Community
Entire class discussions
Small group discussions
Exchanging resources
Contributing personal experiences
Collaborative group projects
Introductions
Peer teaching
Social communication
Ice-breakers
Shackelford, J. L., & Maxwell, M. (2012). Sense of community in graduate online education:
Contribution of learner to learner interaction. The International Review of Research in Open
and Distributed Learning, 13,

18. Building a Sense of Community
entire class discussions
Frequency
contributing personal
experiences
small group discussions
exchanging resources
Importance

19. Three Questions to Consider
What factors influence Sense of Community (SOC) in your graduate degree programs?
How could learning in an online program potentially reduce SOC?
What strategies could be used to enhance SOC in online programs?

20. Q & A Andy Van Schaack, Ph.D. andy.vanschaack@vanderbilt.edu