Use of Multimedia to Enhance Teaching, Social, and Cognitive Presence in Online Courses

Summary Garrison, Anderson and Archer (2000) introduce the model of a Community of Inquiry (CoI), characterized by three levels of presence: cognitive presence, social presence, and teaching presence. Garrison et al. posit that this model is necessary for online courses where most communication is asynchronous. Drawing on prior research into the CoI model, we studied how faculty are integrating multimedia (audio, video, wikis, weblinks, etc.) technology into their online classes and the pedagogical rationale they provide for using multimedia in the online class. A total of 98 UMUC Communication and Writing instructors were surveyed. In addition, we interviewed several instructors and students and observed several online classes in which multimedia was used. We sought to measure faculty and student opinions on the effectiveness of the use multimedia technology, using the CoI model as the theoretical backdrop. Specifically, we sought to understand if multimedia use in online classes affects instructor-to-student interaction (teaching presence); student to student and student-to-instructor interaction (social presence); and, student interaction with course content (cognitive presence). Results of the faculty survey and faculty interviews show that a majority of survey participants and interviewees believe the use of multimedia in the online classroom improves faculty (teaching) presence, furthers student-to-faculty and student-to-student interaction (social presence), and advances student engagement with key course concepts and material (cognitive presence). Of equal importance is the significant finding that all faculty interviewed and surveyed who use multimedia technology in the classroom have grounded their use pedagogically. Faculty are using a variety of multimedia in countless ways in their online classes and the rationale for beginning multimedia use varies from inspiration from colleagues to the desire to improve faculty evaluations to the need to mimic a face-to-face teaching method. Faculty agree that technology for technology sake does not further the CoI; however, a major motivating factor for faculty use of multimedia technology is that its use is pedagogically grounded. Student interviews, unsolicited student comments, and class observations pointed to student satisfaction and even excitement with the use of multimedia in the online classroom. Students cite a perceived sense of faculty caring and a sense of connection with faculty who use multimedia in the online classroom. Garrison et al. (2001) state, "Teaching presence can be difficult in a medium where only text is used" and they further define text communication as a "lean mean of communication." Interviewed students in addition to unsolicited student feedback and student comments in online classes where multimedia is used appreciate when the online mode of communication is expanded to include their instructor's voice. Student comments suggest they are cognizant of teaching, social, and cognitive presence in online classes that employee multimedia.