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for each instructional method and orientated the coders to use this protocol. See
Table 20.3 for coding protocol.
Through the 13-week course and the five instructional methods, both coders seg-
mented and classified all 1,014 of the students' messages. The number of messages
posted by the students was highest during the WebQuest and lowest during the
Reflective Deliberation (see Table 20.4).
Of the total 1,014 messages posted by the students, the coders determined that
572 (56.41%) contained signs of the processes associated with at least one of the five
phases of cognitive presence. Aggregating the messages that were posted during all
five instructional methods, we classified the highest frequency in the third phase
of cognitive presence. As Table 20.5 shows, relatively few messages reached phase
five (9.5% by coder 1 and 5.6% by coder 2), with the majority of messages falling
in phase three (52% by both coders), the exploration phase, which is characterized
by exchanging information.
Table 20.6 shows the minimum and maximum phases assigned for each instruc-
tional method. Table 20.6 also reveals the debate and WebQuest were the only two
methods to reach phase 6.
Aggregating the classifications within instructional methods, it was found that
the mode for the five phases of the practical inquiry model was highest during the
WebQuest and lowest during the reflective deliberation (see Table 20.7).
Phase 3 is the highest mode (the one with the largest frequencies) across the
coders and instructional methods.
Cohen's Kappa was used to determine reliability (Table 20.8). It has been
suggested that a Kappa of higher than 0.61 represents reasonably good overall agree-
ment (Kvalseth, 1989; Landis & Koch, 1977). As Table 20.8 reveals, the Kappas are
Ta
ble 20.4
Number of messages posted during each instructional metho
d
Instructional method
Number of messages
WebQuest
444
Debate
348
Invited Expert
113
Nominal Group Technique
64
Reflective Deliberation
45
Total
1,014
Table 20.5
Frequency of postings in each phase of the practical inquiry model by raters (all
instructional methods combined)
Practical inquiry model phase
Rater 1
Rater 2
1
1
2
2
61
90
3
305
308
4
149
144
5
56
33
