Exploring blended learning experiences through the community of inquiry framework

Abstract

It is widely accepted that effective blended learning initiates students into constructivist learning experiences by integrating face-to-face approaches with online technology. The Community of Inquiry (CoI) framework combines teaching, social, and cognitive presences to explore students’ blended learning experiences from the perspectives of collaboration, critical thinking, and knowledge construction (Garrison & Vaughan, 2008). The present study draws upon the CoI framework to explore students’ learning experiences in an ESP blended course, English for Agriculture and Forestry, with the aim of assessing the interrelationship among the teaching, social, and cognitive presences of CoI and the impact of the blended learning mode on students’ learning processes. Data was collected using the Community of Inquiry Survey Instrument (Arbaugh et al., 2008) and students’ evaluations. The data was quantitatively analysed by multiple linear regression (MLR) and descriptive statistics, and qualitatively by thematic analysis (Braun & Clarke, 2006). The results of the study indicate that the teaching, social, and cognitive presences are correlated, and that social and cognitive presences have a high correlation. Furthermore, students’ motivation towards learning specialised English was activated in the blended learning process. The study has wider implications for exploring a constructivist blended learning mode for ESP and General English courses.