Developing a Community of Inquiry

in a Mobile Learning Context

Mohamed AllyMartha Cleveland-Innes

Marguerite KooleRichard KennyCaroline Park

CNIE 2009 OTTAWA, ONTARIO

Agenda

Mohamed Ally Mobile Learning

M. Cleveland-Innes Community of Inquiry

Rick Kenny CoI & Mobile Learning in Nursing Education

Marguerite Koole FRAME model

Caroline Park FRAME & Mobile Learning in Nursing Education

Marguerite Koole Possible IntegratedModel

Mobile Learning

Learning using information and communication technologies in a way to facilitate learner’s mobility in different contexts.

Nomadicity

The tendency of a person, or group of people, to move with relative frequency.

It also means that learner can easily access electronic services, other learners / teachers / coaches / mentors, and various learning materials with their mobile devices while they are on the move.

Nomadic Learning

A form of learning in which a learner has continuity of service across different sessions, and possibly, different locations. For example: a learner may have a different teacher every year; different colleagues every course, and a learner may change institutions from time to time. (IEEE 1484.1-2003)

• Nomadic community building – how does one build and maintain a community while mobile.

• Part of a community in different contexts.

• Cognitive presence while mobile.• Social presence while mobile.• Teaching presence using mobile

technology.

Building CoI using Mobile Technology

Mobile technology allows unprecedented permutations and concatenation of innovations in communication at the levels of place and space, individual, group and mass, and creative new services offered from a range of entities from amateur creators to gigantic corporations. ……In contrast to computer and internet technology, social science research on mobile communication technology has not caught on quickly among the scholarly community.

Katz, 2006Online

Community of Inquiry

Mobile Learning

How does what we know of CoI apply to mobile learning?

http://communitiesofinquiry.com/

Social PresenceThe ability of participantsto 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.

Cognitive PresenceThe extent to which learners are able to construct and confirm meaning through sustained reflection and discourse in a critical community of inquiry.Teaching Presence

The design, facilitation and direction of cognitive and social processes for the purpose of realizing personally meaningful and educationally worthwhile learning outcomes

Emotional Presence Instructors can model emotional response (Brookfield, 2006), explain its role in the instructor’s own learning (Kort, Reilly & Picard, 2001), teach how to bring emotion to consciousness and make use of the emotional state in a learning situation (Campbell & Cleveland-Innes, 2005).

Adjustment to role of online learner

Course design

Self identity

Technological literacy

Interaction

New role for

instructor

1 2 3

23. Problems posed increased my interest in course issues. -0.099 0.172 -0.785

24. Course activities piqued my curiosity. 0.064 0.070 -0.712

25. I felt motivated to explore content related questions. 0.082 -0.031 -0.770

26. I utilized a variety of information sources to explore problems posed in this course. 0.078 -0.158 -0.759

27. Brainstorming and finding relevant information helped me resolve content related questions. -0.106 0.130 -0.794

28. Online discussions were valuable in helping me appreciate different perspectives. -0.096 0.286 -0.699

29. Combining new information helped me answer questions raised in course activities. 0.101 0.043 -0.716

30. Learning activities helped me construct explanations/solutions. 0.128 0.030 -0.732

31. Reflection on course content and discussions helped me understand fundamental concepts in this class. 0.008 0.237 -0.640

32. I can describe ways to test and apply the knowledge created in this course. 0.239 -0.097 -0.619

33. I have developed solutions to course problems that can be applied in practice. 0.147 0.026 -0.653

34. I can apply the knowledge created in this course to my work or other non-class related activities. 0.171 -0.041 -0.687

Cognitive Presence

Towards Mobile Communities of Inquiry

Online Community of Inquiry

Mobile Learning

Online Community of Inquiry

Mobile Learning

Online Community of Inquiry

Mobile Learning

Mlearning in Nursing Practice Education - Study Design-

• Field trial in 5 week class- Nursing 357.

• 2 groups: mobile learning (12) and comparison (5).

• Pre-study demographics survey.

• Post-survey of student use.

• 8 Semi-structured interviews ( 6 mobile group; 2 instructors).

• Cell phone usage data

Demographics

Age Range

Stage 2

(N=19)

Level of Comfort(Before)

Desktop

Mobile

18 - 25

4 Very uncomfortable

0 0

26 - 29

4 Somewhat uncomfortable

0 3

30 - 39

7 Somewhat comfortable

8 10

40 - 49

4 Very comfortable

11 4

Establishing Cognitive Presence – Learning Mobile Device Features

Application Very Difficult

Difficult Relatively easy

Easy

Email 1 0 5 5

Browse Internet 0 0 6 6

Text messaging 2 0 7 3

Audio messaging

3 4 4 1

Pocket Word 1 1 4 6

Drug software 0 0 5 7

Establishing Cognitive Presence: Usefulness for Learning Activities

Application Useless Rarely Useful

Sometimes Useful

Frequently Useful

Email 3 2 5 2

Browse Internet

2 4 1 5

Text message 4 3 3 2

Audio message

8 3 1 0

Pocket Word 2 3 3 4

Drug software 1 2 4 5

Establishing Teaching Presence: Use for Communication

N=12 With Instructors With Fellow Students

2X or less > 2X 2X or less > 2X

Cell phone 11 1 9 3

Email 11 1 11 1

Text Message 10 2 10 2

Audio Message 12 0 12 0

The FRAME Model(L) Mental, emotional& physiological characteristics

(S) Social & culturalCharacteristics

(D) Technical Characteristics- Specifications: physical, electronic

Context: The learning systemrests within a context of data or informationwaiting to be transformedinto meaning

(DL) Usability- How the learnerinteracts with thedevice

(LS) Constructivism - How learnerinteracts with otherswithin his/her socio-cultural environment

(DS) Information transfer- How data &information is transferredbetween people & systems

Framework, post data analysis

Koole’s FRAME Model for Nursing Practice Education (adapted with permission)

S

Device Usability (iPAQ)PortabilityOn and offline informationImmediacy or asynchronicityCommunication tool

Learner AspectStudents in coursePrevious KnowledgeOrientationCourse Requirements

Social context Clinical practicum (client, preceptor and instructor)Socialization to NursingCooperation, Communication & Culture

On site evidence informed learning & practice On site interaction via mobileBest Practice / Safety / Students both resource & role models)

LD

DSLS

DL

DLS

FRAME and CoI

Cognitive Presence

Social Presence

Teaching Presence

A Possible Combination?

Technology in a minor role.

Role of culture lesssignificant.

Role of physiological (non-cognitive) characteristics of learner less significant.

Influence of Technology

SOCIAL PRESENCE

Social Aspect COGNITIVE

PRESENCE

Learner Aspect

TEACHING PRESENCE

(Structure / Process)

A Possible Combination?

• Places too much emphasis on technology

• Aspects and presences are not equivalent.

ReferencesArbaugh, J. B., Cleveland-Innes, M., Diaz, S., Garrison, D. R., Ice, P, Richardson, J. C., Shea, P., & Swan, K.

(2008). Developing a community of inquiry instrument: Testing a measure of the Community of Inquiry framework using a multi-institutional sample. The Internet and Higher Education, 11 (3-4), 133-136.

Garrison, D. R., Anderson, T, & Archer, W. (2000). Critical inquiry in a text-based environment: Computer conferencing in higher education. The Internet and Higher Education, 2, 87–105.

Katz, J.E. (2006). Mobile communication and the transformation of daily life: The next phase of research on mobiles. Knowledge, Technology & Policy, 19 (1), 62-71.

Kenny, R.F., Park, C.L., Van Neste-Kenny, J.M.C., Burton, P.A. & Meiers, J. (2009). Using mobile learning to enhance the quality of nursing practice education. In M. Ally (Ed.), Empowering Learners and Educators with Mobile Learning. Athabasca, AB: Athabasca University Press.

Kenny, R.F., Park, C.L., Van Neste-Kenny, J.M.C., Burton, P.A. & Meiers, J. (2008). The feasibility of using mobile devices in nursing practice education. In J. Traxler, B. Riorden & C. Dennett (Eds.), Proceedings of mLearn 2008, the 7th World Conference on Mobile Learning, Shropshire, England.

Koole, M. L. (2005). The framework for the rational analysis of mobile education (FRAME) model: An evaluation of mobile devices for distance education. Unpublished master’s thesis. Athabasca University, Alberta. Retrieved September 21, 2006, from http://library.athabascau.ca/drr/viewdtr.php?course=thes&id=205

Koole, M. L. (2009). A model for framing mobile learning. In M. Ally (Ed.), Empowering Learners and Educators with Mobile Learning. Athabasca, AB: Athabasca University Press.