This document outlines principles, guidelines, and strategies for establishing an effective online learning community. It discusses the importance of social presence and cognitive presence. For social presence, it emphasizes establishing trust among participants and providing opportunities for collaboration. For cognitive presence, it stresses creating opportunities for critical reflection and discourse to support systematic inquiry. The document then provides guidelines and example strategies for each principle across four dimensions: design/organization, facilitation, direct instruction, and assessment. Overall, it argues the teacher plays a key role in setting norms, modeling behaviors, addressing conflicts, and ensuring the discourse progresses through stages of inquiry to reach resolution.

1. PRINCIPLES, GUIDELINES & STRATEGIES/ASSESSMENT
Principle Guidelines Strategies/Assessment
Design & Organization
Social Presence Principle: Guidelines associated with this principle would be to establish
trust and opportunities to get to know other participants. A
Establish a climate that will create major part of this is a comfort and willingness to
a community of inquiry collaboratively engage with the community.
• Social presence supports An example of an activity to establish a climate for
purposeful collaboration and collaboration would be to have each participant to introduce
a questioning predisposition themselves and share something about their personal and
professional interests and activities. A special forum should
be created for these postings. Another idea might be to assign
students to discuss formal expectations of the course and
identify concerns. Group spokespersons could then share this
in the main discussion forum. You might also create a “chat”
room for informal communication and encourage students to
use it to get to know one another.
Cognitive Presence Principle: Guidelines associated with this principle would be to limit
curriculum content such that a significant proportion of time
Establish opportunities for critical would be devoted to discourse and reflection. It is also crucial
reflection and discourse that will to create opportunities for small group discussion. It is
support systematic inquiry. important in the very early stages of the course that an
opportunity for substantive, curriculum focused, discourse be
• The design of academic provided.
activities and their
assessment have a significant A brainstorming exercise may be appropriate in the early
impact on how students stage of the course. In order to set the stage for team-based
approach learning collaborative projects down the road, it is suggested that a
small group discussion format be provided early to allow
• Think in terms of inquiry and students to engage more actively and with less anxiety. As
actively engaging students in groups report back, it is important that the teacher respond
the process. and model respectful discourse, establish a friendly
environment, and reinforce discourse guidelines.
• Share with students the
inquiry model (meta-
cognitive awareness)

2. Principle Guidelines Strategies/Assessment
Facilitation
Social Presence Principle: Collaborative activities provide the best means to build and
maintain group cohesion. Group cohesion goes beyond polite
Sustain community by shifting dialogue. For this reason, the group or team should be the
from affective expression to focus of the discourse. The teacher should be present but not
purposeful cohesive responses. the centre of the discourse. Activities must be provided where
participants must engage and rely on each other to accomplish
• The challenge here is to a relevant and important task or goal.
maintain and enhance group
cohesion (collaboration and Small group discussions moderated by students may provide
support). opportunities for students to connect with each other and
collaboratively negotiate process issues. Small group guided
• Shift from overt socio- reviews of articles with alternating group leaders is an
emotional messages to excellent way to build social presence.
academic engagement.
• Cohesion is an important
enabler for collaborative
activities.
Cognitive Presence Principle: Guidelines associated with this principle are to provide
stimulating questions, keep discussion focused, identify issues
Encourage and support the needing clarification, and be prepared to move discussion in a
progression of inquiry through to timely manner. It is important that the teacher facilitates
resolution discussion as a member of the community, modeling the
inquiry process and emphasizing the importance of moving
• Facilitation is essential to toward some form of resolution.
keep the discourse on track
and ensure that inquiry A good activity here is the use of a case study, debate or
evolves. critiquing an article. Because case studies are based upon a
real-life situation, students can readily relate to the situation.
• Students do not move to They are thus effective in involving all members of the group.
resolution without a clear In addition, a case study usually involves some response,
goal and help in moving hence a resolution students can work towards.
toward specific outcomes in
an expeditious manner.

3. Principle Guidelines Strategies/Assessment
Direct Instruction
Social Presence Principle: Guidelines associated with this principle are to be
supportive but expect students to be self-directed
Manage collaborative relationships to support and work collaboratively to complete tasks. From
students to assume increasing responsibility a teaching presence perspective, there will be a
for their learning. stage where tensions and conflicts will arise
between members of collaborative groups. It is
• Direct instruction can increase crucial that the teacher directly address these
confidence and respect by managing situations and resolve conflicts.
potential conflict and ensuring that
students are collaborating constructively. Team building activities will give students the
opportunity to develop the connection and support
• Need strong leadership to achieve goals. of the community to accomplish the assigned
tasks.
• Direct intervention is sometimes
necessary to maintain functional
communities (manage conflict).
Cognitive Presence Principle: Guidelines associated with this principle are to be
prepared to contribute ideas and perspectives that
Ensure that discourse moves to resolution will constructively shape the discourse. It is also
and meta-cognitive awareness results. important to diagnose misconceptions so students
do not get side-tracked and frustrated. It may be
• The primary role for direct instruction is necessary to make connections among ideas and
to ensure that discourse and summarize the discussion before moving on.
collaboration achieve larger educational
goals. At this point, appropriate activities are team
projects. If expectations and guidelines are clear,
• At times direct intervention is required to team projects can provide opportunities to develop
provide important information and collaboration skills as well as engage in a
ensure successful outcomes. substantial, realistic and applied problem.
Students must recognize the need for leadership,
• Raising meta-cognitive awareness is also set goals, plan and manage tasks, assess progress,
an important responsibility requiring and adjust strategies where necessary. These
more than facilitation. activities ensure that students become self-directed
and increase awareness of meta-cognitive

4. processes.