Extending the community of inquiry framework: teaching presence, deeper learning and learning effectiveness in online education

Online learning environments often face challenges such as learner isolation, reduced engagement, and diminished academic performance. This study addresses these issues by applying the Community of Inquiry (CoI) framework to investigate how its three core presences—teaching, social, and cognitive—interact to promote deeper and more effective learning. Drawing on survey data from 201 undergraduate students enrolled in an online course, we used structural equation modeling to analyze the direct and indirect effects of these presences on students’ perceptions of deeper learning and learning effectiveness. Our findings reveal that teaching presence not only directly enhances social presence but also indirectly influences both deeper learning and learning effectiveness through social and cognitive pathways. Cognitive presence emerged as the most significant predictor of deeper learning, highlighting its critical role in cultivating higher-order thinking skills. These results extend the CoI framework by clarifying the mediating roles of social and cognitive presences and provide actionable insights for instructional designers and educators. We propose strategies for designing technology-enhanced learning environments that foster engagement, collaboration, and academic success in online education.