Knowing Is Not Enough, Interaction Is Crucial: Adopting Socioconstructivist Approaches in a Virtual Graduate Seminar

• In Event: Roundtable Session 94
  In Roundtable Session: Online in Higher Ed: Teacher Faculty and Student Insights

Abstract

This paper, based on qualitative doctoral research, examines socioconstructivist approaches in a virtual graduate seminar from the community of inquiry framework perspective. It is based on eight case studies conducted in five Francophone and Anglophone North American universities. In socioconstructivist classes where the emphasis is on dialogue and engagement, students participate actively and are very focused on the task. This study highlights the crucial role of the faculty member as the facilitator of a rich and ongoing dialogue in the classroom, and it emphasizes some of the advantages associated with synchronous online learning such as accessibility and the establishment of a strong sense of community.

Author

• Annie Saint-Jacques, Télé-université