Learning Presence and Engagement in LMS-Supported EFL Preparatory Classrooms

This study investigates learning processes in higher education LMS-supported computer-mediated English as a Foreign Language (EFL) preparatory class by integrating the Community of Inquiry (CoI) and ICAP frameworks. The study examines the relationship between instructional presence and differentiated modes of engagement with cognitive presence among undergraduate students in a compulsory preparatory program operating in a digitally structured blended learning context. Validated survey instruments measuring Cognitive, Social, and Teaching Presence and engagement modes based on ICAP were employed. The descriptive findings showed that the mean levels of Teaching Presence (M=3.91, SD=0.61) and Cognitive Presence (M=3.82, SD=0.67) were relatively high in the blended learning situation. Correlation analyses showed that dimensions of presence and modes of engagement were related. The findings reveal that Teaching Presence, Social Presence, and Higher-Order Engagement were significant predictors of Cognitive Presence and collectively explained a large portion of the variance (R2 = .47, F(3, 243) = 71.24, p < .001). The research shows that thinking in learning management systems for preparation is strongly related to organized instruction and the depth of engagement that is linked in a digital sequence. Through a combination of CoI and ICAP, the study moves towards process-oriented educational technology research, showing how instructional design and engagement differentiation work simultaneously in technology-supported language learning.