Face-to-face and Online Learning Communities and Their Effect on Deep and Surface Approaches to Learning
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2013-09-04
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Abstract
The purpose of the study was to investigate the role of the face-to-face and online learning community in supporting participants’ approaches to learning in a blended faculty development program in higher education. Theoretical frameworks used to frame the study were the Community of Inquiry model (Garrison, Anderson & Archer, 2000) and deep and surface approaches to learning (Marton & Saljo, 1976a; Entwistle & Waterston, 1988). The research was conducted as a case study using mixed methods procedures. Data were collected through pre- and post-workshop surveys, interviews, observations, and online discussions. The findings from the study suggested that participants demonstrated a deep approach to learning by gaining a considerable amount of learning, by being highly interested or engaged in the learning process, by applying the learning to their own context, through their desire to excel or improve, by making connections, by being reflective, and by having a sense of satisfaction or confidence. Participants showed a surface approach to learning through low participation in some activities, by barely meeting requirements in some learning tasks, and by forgetting some concepts quickly. The face-to-face learning community appeared to facilitate a deep approach to learning by clarifying or reinforcing concepts, generating ideas, promoting feelings of connection between participants, and inspiring people to do their best work. The online learning community appeared to encourage a deep approach to learning in slightly different ways, such as helping to generate ideas, promoting critical thinking, promoting reflection, encouraging equitable participation, and by impacting the face-to-face learning. Social, cognitive, and teaching presences were documented to occur in the face-to-face learning environment, and each of these presences played a role in encouraging a deep approach to learning by workshop participants. One factor potentially related to a surface approach to learning: the theme, discouraged involvement, was associated with social and cognitive presences. All three presences, social, cognitive, and teaching, also occurred in the online learning environment, where they tended to promote a deep approach to learning. Implications of the study are that both the online and face-to-face learning communities played an important role in fostering a deep approach to learning for workshop participants, and that the online and face-to-face learning communities offered unique learning benefits to learners.
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Dyjur, P. M. (2013). Face-to-face and Online Learning Communities and Their Effect on Deep and Surface Approaches to Learning (Doctoral thesis, University of Calgary, Calgary, Canada). Retrieved from https://prism.ucalgary.ca. doi:10.11575/PRISM/26139