Learning outside of classroom: Exploring the active part of an informal online E nglish learning community in C hina

This study explored how the GRE Analytical Writing Section Discussion Forum, an informal online language learning community in C hina, functioned to support its members to improve their English writing proficiency. The C ommunity of I nquiry ( CoI ) model was used as the theoretical framework to explore the existence of teaching presence, cognitive presence and social presence in the GRE A nalytical W riting S ection D iscussion F orum. The transcript analysis of postings in the GRE A nalytical W riting S ection D iscussion F orum was used to find the existence of teaching, cognitive presence and social presence, and an adapted CoI survey was sent to members to measure their perceived teaching, cognitive and social presences. The results showed strong evidences of teaching presence, cognitive presence and social presence, and high levels of perceived teaching, cognitive and social presences in the GRE A nalytical W riting S ection D iscussion F orum. The well‐designed technological environment, distributed teaching presence shared by moderators and members, and extensive evidences of social presence in the discussion forum worked together to support learning in the GRE Analytical Writing Section Discussion Forum.