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What is this paper about?

Drawing on constructivism and invitational theory, this paper proposes that teacher presence is foundational to student learning and continues to be vital in an online context.

Invitational theory is underpinned by constructivism – an approach to education that is concerned with student engagement through inquiry, problem solving, dialogues, and negotiation rather than the direct transmission of knowledge.

William Watson Purkey first developed invitational theory in the late 1960s. He described an approach to teaching and learning that focused on enhancing the self-concept of learners and created a framework for encouraging an “invitational classroom”. Purkey understood teacher “invitation” as an intentional and caring act by teachers that offers something beneficial to students for consideration. Students then benefit from this invitation and are also able to invite each other to participate in the learning environment. The teacher plays an important role in creating a classroom environment where students feel safe to engage with each other and the teacher.

A second prominent figure within invitational theory, Parker Palmer, further postulated that there must be an “air of hospitality” that contributes to the creation of an invitational classroom. In this context, “hospitality” refers to receiving students, their ideas, and their struggles with openness and care. A further key assumption of invitational theory is that the learning environment impacts student learning. Creation of a caring learning environment can therefore positively affect student learning.

This paper proposes that while applying an invitational framework within an online context is challenging, use of this approach can help bridge the gap between the ‘virtual’ and the ‘real’ and combat learner isolation.

What theoretical lens did the authors employ?

Drawing on constructivism and invitational theory, this paper proposes that teacher presence is foundational to student learning and continues to be vital in an online context.

Invitational theory is underpinned by constructivism – an approach to education that is concerned with student engagement through inquiry, problem solving, dialogues, and negotiation rather than the direct transmission of knowledge.

William Watson Purkey first developed invitational theory in the late 1960s. He described an approach to teaching and learning that focused on enhancing the self-concept of learners and created a framework for encouraging an “invitational classroom”. Purkey understood teacher “invitation” as an intentional and caring act by teachers that offers something beneficial to students for consideration. Students then benefit from this invitation and are also able to invite each other to participate in the learning environment. The teacher plays an important role in creating a classroom environment where students feel safe to engage with each other and the teacher.

A second prominent figure within invitational theory, Parker Palmer, further postulated that there must be an “air of hospitality” that contributes to the creation of an invitational classroom. In this context, “hospitality” refers to receiving students, their ideas, and their struggles with openness and care. A further key assumption of invitational theory is that the learning environment impacts student learning. Creation of a caring learning environment can therefore positively affect student learning.

This paper proposes that while applying an invitational framework within an online context is challenging, use of this approach can help bridge the gap between the ‘virtual’ and the ‘real’ and combat learner isolation.

How did the authors apply theory to educational practice?

There are three key underlying assumptions to the application of invitational theory in a learning environment.

1. Students are capable of self-direction and should be treated accordingly.
2. The learning process is as important as the final outcome.
3. Educational programs should be designed to push students in a way that taps into their undiscovered skills and potential.

Thus, invitational education strives to facilitate welcoming learning environments where students feel safe to engage and collaborate with each other. This allows for the co-construction of knowledge, which encourages connection with both fellow learners and the course professor.

The Faculty of Health Disciplines at Athabasca University in Alberta, Canada, have developed artistic pedagogical technologies as a strategy for creating invitational online classrooms. Research conducted by Perry and Edwards suggests that use of these artistic pedagogical technologies in online learning can successfully create “an air of hospitality” in online learning.

What conclusions did the authors draw from their analysis?

The authors provide several examples of artistic pedagogical technologies that they themselves have used to create invitational online classroom environments. These include:

• “Me to You” videos: Instructors create short, unscripted videos that can be used to summarize weekly sessions, recognize student contributions, summarize highlights of class discussion and/or offer insights based on class discussions.

• Photovoice: Instructors post a photo with an accompanying quote and provide students with a reflective prompt. Students then post their reflections on the relationship between the prompt and the photo/caption to the class discussion board.

• “Coffee Forums”: Instructors create informal online discussion forums for the sharing of content unrelated to the course. Instructors can also use a Coffee Forum to share motivating or inspirational thoughts.

• Parallel Poetry: Instructors provide an example poem related to a subjective element of the course. Students are then invited to create a poem on the same topic after reading the instructor’s example.

• “Apprecograms”: Instructors write short, individualized notes to students that tell each student in the class something the teacher appreciates about them.

• Invitation to Reflection Through Multimedia: Instructors present a video or other form of media and encourage students to reflect on the material in two stages. In the first stage, the students respond to the reflective prompts individually and post them on a class forum. In the second stage, students are given different reflective prompts that encourage them to consider their peers’ responses.

• Use of Metaphor: Instructors can employ this in a number of ways – in the example provided, students choose photos to represent how they feel about a certain topic and are encouraged to share their photos and reflections with the class.

However, in addition to providing these examples, the authors emphasize that effective teaching should not be reduced to consideration of pedagogical techniques. These examples are not meant to act as a guide to creating an invitational classroom. They are instead intended to encourage reflection regarding the ways that teachers engage students in the online classroom.

What does this paper tell us about teaching?

When facilitating online courses, attention to the virtual classroom environment is vital. Invitational theory suggests that students learn best when the instructor is present, and students are comfortable co-constructing knowledge. Applying invitational theory in an online setting can be very challenging. The variety of artistic pedagogical technologies described demonstrate that there are many ways to facilitate an “invitational” online learning environment. This paper encourages us to consider diverse ways to facilitate the co-construction of knowledge within online learning.

Authors:

Kerry E. Black, University of Alberta (Canada).

Sharon L. Moore, PhD, is a Professor in the Faculty of Health Disciplines at Athabasca University (Canada).

Reference:

Moore, S. L., & Black, K. E., (2018). The heart of the matter: Creating invitational classrooms in online learning.  International Journal for Infonomics, 11(4), 1818-1823. https://doi.org/10.20533/iji.1742.4712.2018.0185

For additional examples of and research on the use of artistic pedagogical technologies, see:

Melrose, S., Park, C., & Perry, B. (2014). Teaching health professionals online: Frameworks and strategies. AU Press, Athabasca University. http://www.deslibris.ca/ID/447284

Perry, B., & Edwards, M. (2012). Creating an “invitational classroom” in the online educational milieu. American Journal of Health Sciences (AJHS), 3(1), 7–16. https://doi.org/10.19030/ajhs.v3i1.6747