Hello there! In this thread, you will meet the siblings OCL and COI! Happy reading!
Online Collaborative Learning' (OCL) and Communities of Inquiry (COI) are siblings who share commonalities and differences. One can even go as far as to analogize these two learning theories to identical twins that are characteristically alike, and oftentimes difficult to tell a part. Identical twins, though, have been noted to have unique personalities and interests. As such, although they are the same in several ways, there are individual differences to consider. Likewise, OCL and COI are the same to a certain extent. This is the case because there are a few elements that make them like and distinguishable. A major identical characteristic concerns discourse. Discourse is at the epicentre of both models.
In the virtual learning setting, discourse usually takes the form of discussion boards, forums, or threads. In reference to the literature, Harasim (n.d.), emphasized “the role of peer discourse as key to learning and defines learning as intellectual convergence, achieved through three progressive stages of group discourse: Idea Generating, Idea Organizing and Intellectual Convergence” (para. 5). Meanwhile, Garrison, Anderson, and Archer (2000) also placed emphasis on discourse in the COI model. In fact, they defined it as a group of persons who engage in purposeful discourse to create personal meaning and confirm understanding (as cited in Bates, 2019). Isn’t that what we are doing right now? Precisely!
Like Harasim, they too identified essential components of the model. These elements include social presence, teaching presence, and cognitive presence. The various elements that thinkers highlighted and focused on can be arguably distinguishable characteristics that set these twins apart. However, it can also be argued that these distinguishable components are interrelated and can be combined or merged by their commonality, that is, discourse. You see, in an online discussion forum, there is social, teaching, and cognitive presence. Cognitive presence is evident through knowledge construction where learners generate, organize, and converge ideas. So, although intellects of each model focused on different elements, these various elements are present in online discussions which make these twins (i.e., OCL & COI) difficult to tell a part in an online community.
Here’s an illustration of their commonalities and differences:
Like human twins, OCL and COI have their strengths and weaknesses. Bates (2019) discussed a few in his work. Another strength, however, that is worth mentioning is that they both facilitate networking among learners. The discourse among learners gives them the opportunity to share various means of contact with each other. Learners might share their LinkedIn or email in one of the threads. In fact, in the Orientation to Graduate Studies course, there was a networking thread. Learners were to network with each other by sharing the link to their LinkedIn profile or other professional information. Classmates were encouraged to check out the information shared by their peers and asked to be added to their networks.
COI and OCL also give learners the opportunity to build rapport with each other. Learners might be more inclined to personally reach out to a classmate after building rapport or engaging with them in the threads. They may do so for a variety of reasons such as to gain more insight on their professional experiences.
In relation to their weaknesses, perhaps, there are others but not that I can think of. Despite their strengths and shortcomings, their application can be fruitful in both the online and in-class setting. Bates (2019) noted that they can work well in both settings. I share his sentiments and think that they would work well especially in the face-to-face setting. In this setting, class size, anxious feelings about oral class participation and other factors can affect students’ in-class participation in that some students may participate at a lower rate and sometimes not at all. Discussion forums, however, cater for such students giving them the opportunity to share and express their thoughts and opinions. It is also very likely that all learners will participate in discussions if it is graded. The domino effect of this is that an increase in participation can result in an enriched, deep discussion among other things.
"Fact or opinion" by SlideServe
Having explored and examined these siblings, one may wonder if this is common sense dressed up as theory. Well, I’d say that it is the reverse in that they are theories that can become common sense. A theory is a set of principles that is tested and observed and explain a phenomenon. In the words of Harasim (n.d.), “a theory of learning should define and explain the indicators of learning in order to assess the quality of learning taking place, that is, the effectiveness” (para. 3). This understanding led her to develop the Online Collaborative Learning theory. COI is also considered to be a theory. Bates (2019) noted that “CoI is more of a theory than a model”. As aforementioned, these theories can become common sense to an individual who has been exposed to them and is knowledgeable about them. To explicate further, common sense is simply sound judgement on everyday matters. These theories can help practitioners and professionals make prudent choices or sound judgement that best suits their context.
What are your thoughts on this notion?
Let’s continue the conversation below with your thoughts, queries, and comments!
Krista
MDE student
University of Maryland Global Campus
University of Maryland Global Campus | UMGC
References
Bates, A. W. (2019). Teaching in a Digital Age. Victoria, BC: BCcampus. Retrieved from https://opentextbc.ca/teachinginadigitalage/
Harasim, L. (n.d.). OCL Theory. Linda Harasim Blog. Retrieved from https://www.lindaharasim.com/online-collaborative-learning/ocl-theory/
Great discussion. Krista, I find it really interesting the take that students have about being online and feeling less nervous. Last year, I asked my math students, those who came into the building two days a week and were synchronous the other three days, if they preferred to be in-person or online. The majority of them shared that they do not like being online because they feel that students are staring at them, hence, why students would turn off their cameras. Also, students did not like seeing themselves online (there is a way to fix this). Students felt more comfortable asking questions in person because they knew the teachers could evaluate their work in person. With this being said, some students thrived more when they were in online breakout groups of 3-4 students. This was not the case for everyone, but for many, a smaller group setting made them feel more at ease. As for who talks more, regardless of the setting, I have found the student who is most comfortable with themselves, will speak often.
On a different note, I found some students who thrived in a virtual setting because they did not like being around peers.
I really like your comment, "Well, I’d say that it is the reverse in that they are theories that can become common sense." I suppose it is like the saying, "Which comes first, the chicken or the egg?"
This topic is so interesting to me because I'm not sure how I would do as a teacher in a higher education setting with everyone in compliance with the activities. :)
Thanks!