Community of Inquiry in E-learning : A Critical Analysis of Garrison and Anderson Model

Annie Jézégou (1)

1 CREF - Centre de recherches éducation et formation

This article is based on a constructively critical analysis of the model of community of inquiry developed by Garrison and Anderson (2003) as part of a research conducted in the area of e-learning. The authors claim that certain collaborative interactions create "distant presence" fostering the emergence of a community of inquiry which has a positive influence on individual and collective learning. More specifically, the article points out that until now, the model's theoretical foundations had not been made explicit and provides important insights concerning these epistemological considerations. It also suggests a number of theoretical perspectives which strengthen the authors' presentation of the conceptual anchorings of the model. Thus the major contribution of this article is to show the potential of Garrison and Anderson's model for the research in the field of e-learning.

Keywords: Information and communications technology; Educational technologies; Education -- Data processing; teaching presence; distance collaboration; social interaction; cognitive presence; social presence; Computer-assisted education; Education

Domains: Humanities and Social Sciences; Education

Annie Jézégou. Community of Inquiry in E-learning : A Critical Analysis of Garrison and Anderson Model. Journal of Distance Education / Revue de l'Éducation à Distance, 2010, 24 (3), pp.1-18. ⟨edutice-00596237⟩