Visual Communications and Technology Education Faculty Publications

Document Type

Article

Abstract

This study explored how the GRE Analytical Writing Section Discussion Forum, an informal online language learning community in China, functioned to support its members to improve their English writing proficiency. The Community of Inquiry (CoI) model was used as the theoretical framework to explore the existence of teaching presence, cognitive presence, and social presence in the GRE Analytical Writing Section Discussion Forum. The transcript analysis of postings in the GRE Analytical Writing Section Discussion Forum was used to find the existence of teaching, cognitive presence, and social presence, and an adapted CoI survey was sent to members to measure their perceived teaching, cognitive, and social presences. The results showed strong evidences of teaching presence, cognitive presence, and social presence, and high levels of perceived teaching, cognitive, and social presences in the GRE Analytical Writing Section Discussion Forum. The well-designed technological environment, distributed teaching presence shared by moderators and members, and extensive evidences of social presence in the discussion forum worked together to support learning in the GRE Analytical Writing Section Discussion Forum.

Publisher's Statement

"This is the peer reviewed version of the following article: Sun, Y., Franklin, T. & Gao, F. (2015). Learning outside of classroom: Exploring the active part of an informal online English learning community in China. British Journal of Educational Technology. , which has been published in final form at http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/bjet.12340/full. This article may be used for non-commercial purposes in accordance with Wiley Terms and Conditions for Self-Archiving."

Publication Date

9-2015

Publication Title

British Journal of Educational Technology

Publisher

Wiley

DOI

https://doi.org/10.1111/bjet.12340

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