Adaptation of an Activity Theory Framework for Effective Online Learning Experiences: Bringing Cognitive Presence, Teaching Presence, and Social Presence to Online Courses

Abstract

Offering online courses can be seen as a way of enhancing the three essential "presences" (teaching, cognitive, and social) of the Community of Inquiry (CoI) model. Creating and enhancing cognitive, teaching, and social presences require an innovation for teachers during planning, implementing, and evaluating their online courses. As teachers develop their own expertise in teaching online, they contribute to the enhancement of cognitive, teaching, and social presences for effective online learning. The present conceptual study provides a review of the models presented previously and develops a complete model for effective online learning experience by adapting the Activity Theory within the context of online learning management. The study discusses a framework developed to adapt the Activity Theory for the design, development, implementation, and evaluation of online courses to enhance the cognitive, teaching, and social presences within complex cognitive tasks so that the learning outcomes of the course, as well as the required qualifications of higher education, can be reached.