Community of Inquiry Model in Online Learning: Development Approach in MOOCs

The widespread use of technology in education has brought MOOCs (Massive Open Online Courses) to the forefront of distance and lifelong learning over the past 8 years, making necessary research around MOOCs to be based on solid theoretical models. The Community of Inquiry framework is a theoretical model with wide acceptance in the field of distance education, while the corresponding questionnaire has been used in a variety of educational collaborative learning environments. At the heart of the framework is the three dimensions, teaching, social, and cognitive presence, which are interrelated and interdependent. The present study examined the extent to which the development of a Community of Inquiry can be achieved within the framework of MOOCs, while research also focused on the degree of correlation of participation in forums with the degree of development of the Community of Inquiry. According to the results, the degree of correlation between the three presences is considered satisfactory. In addition, although participation in MOOCs forums is low, there is a correlation between it and the level of development of the Community of Inquiry. The results, therefore, suggest that the Community of Inquiry framework may be applied in xMOOC environments.