The primary challenge of online education is bridging the distance, both geographical and psychological, between student-and-teacher and student-and-student dynamics. In today’s increasingly digitalized world, it is important to enhance the quality of learning and the nature of interactions in distance education formats. The Community of Inquiry Framework in Contemporary Education: Emerging Research and Opportunities is a critical scholarly resource that examines the benefits, challenges, and intricacies of online learning with attention to key concepts, literature, resources, tools, and scenarios. Featuring coverage on a broad range of topics, such as big data research, network communication theory, educational data mining, and digital learning, this book is geared towards researchers, instructors, and higher education administrators seeking current research on the integration of new distance learning technologies.

Communications technologies have been continuously integrated into learning and training environments which has revealed the need for a clear understanding of the process. The Community of Inquiry (COI) Theoretical Framework has a philosophical foundation which provides planned guidelines and principles to development useful learning environments and guarantees successful educational experiences. Educational Communities of Inquiry: Theoretical Framework, Research, and Practice is an extensive reference that offers theoretical foundations and developments associated with the COl theoretical framework. This collection is a valuable source of ideas, research opportunities, and challenges for scholars and practitioners in the field of education technology.

"This volume is grounded in the thesis that information technology may offer the only viable avenue to the implementation of constructivist and progressive educational principles in higher education, and that the numerous efforts now under way to realize these principles deserve examination and evaluation"--Provided by publisher.

The third edition of E-Learning in the 21st Century provides a coherent, comprehensive, and empirically-based framework for understanding e-learning in higher education. Garrison draws on his decades of experience and extensive research in the field to explore technological, pedagogical, and organizational implications. The third edition has been fully updated throughout and includes new material on learning technologies, MOOCs, blended learning, leadership, and the importance and role of social connections in thinking and learning, highlighting the transformative and disruptive impact that e-learning has recently had on education.

Teaching in Blended Leaning Environments provides a coherent framework in which to explore the transformative concept of blended learning. Blended learning can be defined as the organic integration of thoughtfully selected and complementary face-to-face and online approaches and technologies. A direct result of the transformative innovation of virtual communication and online learning communities, blended learning environments have created new ways for teachers and students to engage, interact, and collaborate. The authors argue that this new learning environment necessitates significant role adjustments for instructors and generates a need to understand the aspects of teaching presence required of deep and meaningful learning outcomes. Built upon the theoretical framework of the Community of Inquiry – the premise that higher education is both a collaborative and individually constructivist learning experience – the authors present seven principles that provide a valuable set of tools for harnessing the opportunities for teaching and learning available through technology. Focusing on teaching practices related to the design, facilitation, direction and assessment of blended learning experiences, Teaching in Blended Learning Environments addresses the growing demand for improved teaching in higher education.

This groundbreaking book offers a down-to-earth resource for the practical application of blended learning in higher education as well as a comprehensive examination of the topic. Well-grounded in research, Blended Learning in Higher Education clearly demonstrates how the blended learning approach embraces the traditional values of face-to-face teaching and integrates the best practices of online learning. This approach has proven to both enhance and expand the effectiveness and efficiency of teaching and learning in higher education across disciplines. In this much-needed book, authors D. Randy Garrison and Norman D. Vaughan present the foundational research, theoretical framework, scenarios, principles, and practical guidelines for the redesign and transformation of the higher education curriculum. Blended Learning in Higher Education Outlines seven blended learning redesign principles Explains the professional development issues essential to the implementation of blended learning designs Presents six illustrative scenarios of blended learning design Contains practical guidelines to blended learning redesign Describes techniques and tools for engaging students

New tools and technologies are being developed to cater to the e-learning triangle of content, technology, and services. These developments (in technology, needs of students, emergence of new modes of education like MOOCs or flipped classrooms, etc.) have resulted in a change in the approach to teaching. Innovative Applications of Online Pedagogy and Course Design is a critical publication that explores e-learning as a tool for instructional delivery across various kinds of educational institutions and at all levels. Featuring coverage on a wide range of topics such as distance education, cumulative sentence analysis, and primary teacher training, this book is geared toward educators, professionals, school administrators, researchers, and practitioners seeking current and relevant research on instructional design and delivery in online and technology-based courses.