Cooperative Learning Effects on Achievement and Community of Inquiry in Online Education

While distance education continues to grow in higher education, students express the concern that they feel isolated. The purpose of this study was to determine if the implementation of a cooperative learning strategy would affect social presence and achievement. Each group completed an individual assignment and a cooperative learning assignment working in groups. There were no differences in achievement due to a possible ceiling effect on the assessment. While the results are mixed, they suggest additional studies using cooperative learning as a strategy to increase student engagement in a distance education environment.