Principles of Blended Learning Shared Metacognition and Communities of Inquiry

The rapid migration to remote instruction during the Covid-19 pandemic has expedited the need for more research, expertise, and practical guidelines for online and blended learning. A theoretical grounding of approaches and practices is imperative to support blended learning and sustain change across multiple levels in education organizations, from leadership to classroom. The Community of Inquiry is a valuable framework that regards higher education as both a collaborative and individually constructivist learning experience. The framework considers the interdependent elements of social, cognitive, and teaching presence to create a meaningful learning experience. In this volume, the authors further explore and refine the blended learning principles presented in their first book, Teaching in Blended Learning Environments: Creating and Sustaining Communities of Inquiry, with an added focus on designing, facilitating, and directing collaborative blended learning environments by emphasizing the concept of shared metacognition.

About the Author

Norman D. Vaughan is a professor in the Department of Education at Mount Royal University. He has co-authored Teaching in Blended Learning Environments: Creating and Sustaining Communities of Inquiry (2013), and Blended Learning in Higher Education (2008). Deborah Dell completed her Doctor of Education in Distance Education at Athabasca University. Her research and practice work focuses on the integration of emotion and cognition and building collaborative learning and practice communities. Martha Cleveland-Innes is professor of Open, Digital, and Distance Education at Athabasca University. She is editor-in-chief of the bilingual Canadian Journal of Learning and Technology, and the co-author of The Guide to Blended Learning (2018) and Participant Experience in an Inquiry-Based Massive Open Online Course (2022). D. Randy Garrison is professor emeritus at the University of Calgary. He has published extensively on teaching and learning in adult, higher and distance education contexts.

Reviews

A comprehensive exploration of blended learning, focusing on developing shared metacognition and building communities of inquiry. Over six well-structured chapters, the authors discuss the history, pedagogical frameworks, and the interplay between technology and education in blended learning environments. This book is essential for anyone interested in understanding the complexities of blended learning.

Ashley Salter, Distance Learning

Table of Contents

1. Introduction
2. 1. Conceptual Framework
3. 2. Design and Organization
4. 3. Facilitation
5. 4. Direct Instruction
6. 5. Assessment
7. 6. Leading Collaboratively
8. Conclusion
9. Appendix A: Blended Learning Design Process
10. Appendix B: Community of Inquiry: Teacher Self-Assessment and Exploration Tool
11. Appendix C: Community of Inquiry: Student Self-Assessment and Exploration Tool
12. Appendix D: Community of Inquiry Survey Instrument
13. Appendix E: Shared Metacognition Questionnaire
14. References

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons License (CC BY-NC-ND 4.0). It may be reproduced for non-commercial purposes, provided that the original author is credited.