Table 4 Teaching Intensity: Educational...

Table 4

Teaching Intensity: Educational Design Frameworks Relevant to Determining Online Course Sizes

Educational Framework	Dimensions	Recommended Course Sizes Associated With Framework Dimensions
Constructivistobjectivist contin uum	Objectivist approach (all one-way) Constructivist approach (all interactive)	Large: no known upper limits Small-medium: ≤ 20-25 students
Community of inquiry model	Teaching presence—faculty activity Course design and organization Facilitating discourse Direct instruction Cognitive presence: Student activity. Extent to which students are able to construct and integrate new meaning through sustained learning processes. Driven by faculty's teaching and social presence, and by other students' cognitive and social presence. Social presence: Faculty and student activity. The ability of faculty and learners to project themselves socially and emotionally into a course, and create an identity as a “real person” in the online environment. Driven by faculty's teaching and social presence, and by other students' cognitive and social presence.	Use of COI principles of course design and organization only: recommended enrollment of > 25 students (medium-large) Full use of COI principles of teaching, cognitive, and social presence, including: frequent, substantive faculty-student interaction; promotion of critical thinking; teacher immediacy; direct instruction; regular formative and summative feedback; correction of students' misconceptions; in-depth assessments and evaluation: recommended enrollment of ≤ 20 students (small-medium)
Bloom's Taxonomy	Lower levels: knowledge, comprehension Middle level: application Upper levels: analysis, synthesis, and evaluation	Medium-large: ≥ 30 students Medium: 16-40 students Small: ≤ 15 students
Total: Conclusion on varying comb nations of all thre frameworks	In combination, use of objectivist teaching strategies, limited implementation of the COI model, and lower levels of learning in Bloom's taxonomy Varying combinations of middle levels of all three frameworks In combination, use of constructivist teaching strategies, full implementation of the COI model, and higher levels of learning in Bloom's taxonomy	Large: ≥ 30 students Medium: 16-30 students Small: ≤ 15 students

Educational Framework	Dimensions	Recommended Course Sizes Associated With Framework Dimensions
Constructivistobjectivist contin uum	Objectivist approach (all one-way) Constructivist approach (all interactive)	Large: no known upper limits Small-medium: ≤ 20-25 students
Community of inquiry model	Teaching presence—faculty activity Course design and organization Facilitating discourse Direct instruction Cognitive presence: Student activity. Extent to which students are able to construct and integrate new meaning through sustained learning processes. Driven by faculty's teaching and social presence, and by other students' cognitive and social presence. Social presence: Faculty and student activity. The ability of faculty and learners to project themselves socially and emotionally into a course, and create an identity as a “real person” in the online environment. Driven by faculty's teaching and social presence, and by other students' cognitive and social presence.	Use of COI principles of course design and organization only: recommended enrollment of > 25 students (medium-large) Full use of COI principles of teaching, cognitive, and social presence, including: frequent, substantive faculty-student interaction; promotion of critical thinking; teacher immediacy; direct instruction; regular formative and summative feedback; correction of students' misconceptions; in-depth assessments and evaluation: recommended enrollment of ≤ 20 students (small-medium)
Bloom's Taxonomy	Lower levels: knowledge, comprehension Middle level: application Upper levels: analysis, synthesis, and evaluation	Medium-large: ≥ 30 students Medium: 16-40 students Small: ≤ 15 students
Total: Conclusion on varying comb nations of all thre frameworks	In combination, use of objectivist teaching strategies, limited implementation of the COI model, and lower levels of learning in Bloom's taxonomy Varying combinations of middle levels of all three frameworks In combination, use of constructivist teaching strategies, full implementation of the COI model, and higher levels of learning in Bloom's taxonomy	Large: ≥ 30 students Medium: 16-30 students Small: ≤ 15 students

Note:

The recommended course sizes are based on a synthesis of research findings from the literature review, and implications for teaching strategies from the three educational frameworks.

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