Exemplary Online Educators: Creating a Community of Inquiry

Within most disciplines there are those who are recognized as being exceptionally competent practitioners. These people are sometimes called exceptional or exemplary. In the educational realm, students remember these individuals at the teachers who most positively influenced their learning. The commonality of these exemplary practitioners is that they do their work in a remarkable way and their teaching strategies and interpersonal interactions are regarded by their students as highly successful.

Although there has been a “virtual explosion of online education” (Thiele, 2003) the literature remains lacking in terms of studies focused on what makes some online educators more effective than others. This paper outlines the initial findings of a qualitative study that asked students who study online their perspectives on why they recall certain online educators as outstanding. The “Community of Inquiry” model developed by Garrison, Anderson and Archer provides a framework for analysis of the findings of this study (n.d.). Specifically, the data reveals that exemplary online teachers create a community of inquiry that is comprised of a strong social, cognitive and teaching presence.

The outcomes of this study have implications for all those who teach online and for administrators who are proposing to move their curriculum from class-room based to the online method of delivery. In order to develop high quality online teachers, we need to understand what makes online educators not only effective, but exemplary .

The Web and all of its thousands of applications hold great potential as an equalizer for those with disabilities.  Being able to access your bank account without having to navigate a sidewalk or communicate with a friend without using special text telephones are major revolutions for those who cannot walk or hear.  Possibly the most significant revolution is taking place in the area of education.  The opportunity to attend college or obtain an advanced degree online will have a lasting and long term positive impact on the disabled as well as society at large. 
The revolution is no less significant than the ramps and handicapped-accessible entrances that now provide the disabled with physical access to libraries, schools and other public facilities.  But what if, in our rush to put in the ramps, we had made them too steep to be used or the entrances to narrow to fit through?  Unfortunately, this is exactly what has happened with the Web and, in some cases, distance learning courses.