Supersizing e-learning : what a coI survey reveals about teaching presence in a large online class

Abstract

The answer to massification in higher education lies not in paper-behind-glass style e-learning. Such courses lack the necessary interaction to ensure success. There are perceived upper limits to where e-learning can be up scaled to accommodate large classes. The Community of Inquiry framework provides a convenient instrument to assess the quality of teaching in an online course. All three of teaching, social and cognitive presences should be at an acceptable level to maintain successful learning. We report on a super-sized class for post-graduate students who received instruction over a distance employing a learning management system and email for communication. By using available functionalities in innovative ways, the one full-time lecturer ensured student engagement. Participating in double-blind electronic peer review brought a deeper dimension of learning to the class and augmented the teaching, cognitive and social presences in the class.