Community of Inquiry
Fundamental theoretical framework for designing deep and meaningful learning experiences.
Garrison, Anderson & Archer (2000)📌 What is the CoI Model?
The Community of Inquiry (CoI) model describes how learning occurs within a community through the interaction of three essential elements. With more than 11,700 citations, it is one of the most influential frameworks in education.
💡 Key Concept
Deep learning occurs within a community through the interaction of three essential elements: Cognitive Presence, Social Presence, and Teaching Presence.
Presence
Presence
EXPERIENCE
Philosophical Basis
🎓 Charles Sanders Peirce (1839-1914)
- Father of American pragmatism
- Concept of "community of inquiry"
- Truth emerges from community consensus
- Knowledge is provisional and collaborative
📚 John Dewey (1859-1952)
- Influential philosopher and educator
- Practical Inquiry Model
- Education as reconstruction of experience
- Learning as a social process
Cognitive Presence
The process of constructing meaning
📌 Formal Definition
"The extent to which participants in any particular configuration of a community of inquiry are able to construct meaning through sustained communication." (Garrison, Anderson & Archer, 2001).
Cognitive Presence is the core element of the model. It is operationalized through the Practical Inquiry Model (PIM).
The Practical Inquiry Cycle
Triggering Event
A problem, dilemma, or question that generates curiosity and initiates the process. Creates a sense of puzzlement that motivates inquiry.
Exploration
Participants exchange information, discover ideas, and seek to understand the nature of the problem. It is a divergent phase.
Integration
Focused and structured construction of meaning. Participants connect ideas and create synthesis. It is a convergent phase.
Resolution
Application of new knowledge to the real world, testing solutions, or generating new questions.
⚠️ Research Finding
Studies show that without explicit teacher intervention, most discussions remain in the Exploration phase without reaching Integration or Resolution.
Strategies for Each Phase
🎯 Phase 1: Triggering
- Ask open-ended questions without obvious answers
- Present real-world cases or scenarios
- Show contradictions or paradoxes
🔍 Phase 2: Exploration
- Facilitate structured brainstorming
- Provide varied resources
- Encourage exchange of perspectives
🔗 Phase 3: Integration
- Ask to connect ideas from different sources
- Request concept maps
- Guide towards convergence
✅ Phase 4: Resolution
- Design practical application projects
- Ask to defend conclusions
- Create transferable products
Teaching Presence
Structure and educational leadership
📌 Formal Definition
"The design, facilitation, and direction of cognitive and social processes for the purpose of realizing personally meaningful and educationally worthwhile learning outcomes." (Anderson et al., 2001).
Teaching Presence is the element that integrates the community. In formal contexts, it is primarily the teacher's responsibility.
Design & Organization
Everything that happens before starting.
- Setting curriculum and objectives
- Designing methods and activities
- Establishing schedule
- Selecting technology
Facilitating Discourse
During the experience, guiding the discussion.
- Identifying areas of agreement/disagreement
- Seeking consensus
- Encouraging the reticent
- Maintaining focus
Direct Instruction
Expert contribution and scaffolding.
- Injecting expert knowledge
- Diagnosing misunderstandings
- Summarizing debates
- Confirming understanding
7 Design Principles (Garrison, 2017)
| # | Principle | Description |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Open Communication | Plan to create trust and open communication |
| 2 | Critical Thinking | Plan for critical reflection and discourse |
| 3 | Teaching Presence | Establish instructor presence from the start |
| 4 | Positive Community | Create and maintain a positive community |
| 5 | Resolve Conflicts | Identify and resolve areas of confusion |
| 6 | Assess Progress | Assess learning progress continuously |
| 7 | Technical Support | Respond to technical needs |
Practical Application
Strategies to implement CoI
The CoI model is a flexible framework adaptable to face-to-face, hybrid, or virtual contexts.
Presence Intersections
| Intersection | Function | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Social + Teaching | Setting Climate | Environment of trust and safety |
| Cognitive + Teaching | Selecting Content | Materials that challenge thinking |
| Social + Cognitive | Supporting Discourse | Collaboration to construct meaning |
| All three presences | Optimal Experience | Deep and meaningful learning |
Adaptation for K-12
✅ What Works
- Small teams with roles
- Tangible projects
- Short inquiry cycles
- Connection to daily life
⚠️ Adaptations
- More initial teacher guidance
- Simplified language
- Emphasis on visual/manipulative
- Continuous formative assessment
Digital Tools
| Phase | Suggested Tools |
|---|---|
| Triggering | Padlet, Mentimeter, Provocative videos |
| Exploration | Forums, Wikis, Miro, Jamboard |
| Integration | Coggle, Canva, Shared Docs |
| Resolution | Genially, Portfolios, Video presentations |
References
Key bibliography of the CoI model
Seminal Articles
Critical inquiry in a text-based environment: Computer conferencing in higher education.
Garrison, D. R., Anderson, T., & Archer, W. (2000). The Internet and Higher Education, 2(2-3), 87-105.
📊 +11,700 citations - Foundational article
Assessing teaching presence in a computer conferencing context.
Anderson, T., Rourke, L., Garrison, D. R., & Archer, W. (2001). Journal of Asynchronous Learning Networks, 5(2).
Assessing social presence in asynchronous text-based computer conferencing.
Rourke, L., Anderson, T., Garrison, D. R., & Archer, W. (2001). Journal of Distance Education, 14(2).
Reference Books
E-Learning in the 21st Century: A Community of Inquiry Framework for Research and Practice (3rd ed.).
Garrison, D. R. (2017). New York: Routledge.
🌐 Official Resources
Official site with instruments and papers: coi.athabascau.ca
Social Presence
Creating the climate for learning
📌 Formal Definition
"The ability of participants to identify with the community (e.g., course of study), communicate purposefully in a trusting environment, and develop inter-personal relationships by way of projecting their individual personalities." (Garrison, 2009).
It is not an end in itself, but a facilitator of cognitive presence. Without trust, there is no deep debate.
1. Affective Expression
Ability and confidence to express emotions, humor, and self-disclosure.
2. Open Communication
Reciprocal and respectful exchanges that build trust.
3. Group Cohesion
Sense of group commitment and collective identity.
📈 Temporal Evolution
Affective expression tends to decrease over time while group cohesion increases. As trust grows, there is less need for explicit affective expressions.