Cooperative Inquiry Online: Investigating Innovation in Work-Integrated Learning Across Four Countries

Experiencing Collaborative Inquiry Online: A Literature Review

“…The analysis phase benefitted from moving to synchronous gatherings (Crowther et al, 2021). Whitaker et al (2022), however, reported success using Google Docs as a kind of less individually segmented discussion board to engage participants in a continuous dialogue in a single document between meetings and across CI phases.…”

“…However, virtual worlds, like Second Life, that allow for complex three-dimensional visuals and embodied movements, can produce experiential immersion and feelings of deep connection to other participants (Thorpe, 2008). Furthermore, while Whitaker et al (2022) reported their co-researchers mostly chose to remain on camera during Zoom meetings, they emphasized contributions to a shared collaborative document, which they also practiced synchronously, as a more accurate marker of deep engagement.…”

“…Meanwhile, Moreira-Ramirez (2020) found that a completely synchronous virtual CI group with three people (using no asynchronous platform) resulted in a highly participatory, richly divergent, and authentically collaborative experience. While Heron (1996) suggested groups larger than 12 persons may require professional facilitation, Whitaker et al (2022) reported developing an ecology of digital tools that supported their 15-person group while allowing other interested parties to observe the group's process.…”

“…Group Practices. Online CIs found sensory-focused reflection prompts (Astle, 2001), synchronous centering meditations (Hanlin-Rowney et al, 2006), storytelling (Astle, 2001;McKegney, 2014), facilitator-led prompting or summarizing in synchronous meetings (Whitaker et al, 2022), and scenario planning (McKegney, 2014;Moreira-Ramirez, 2020) to be particularly helpful practices in the virtual context. Feller et al (2004) proclaimed that spaces for journaling "are ideal for an online community," helping create individual safe spaces for experimenting with communicating affective experiences in artful ways, especially in a CI's concluding analysis phase (p. 224).…”