Presenter Lily Thukral introduced participants to the Community of Inquiry (CoI) framework, showing us how it can be an effective tool for pedagogical reflective journaling. The focus was on the CoI’s three core elements—cognitive presence, social presence, and teaching presence—and how they can be used to enhance reflective practice and improve language teaching. We had an active group of seven participants (not a bad number for our small chapter!), and Lily guided us to share and reflect on our teaching experiences in group discussions. We learned to apply the CoI framework to analyze our teaching experiences, identify areas for improvement, and develop strategies to enhance student engagement and learning outcomes. The CoI framework is a tool we can use going forward to help us reflect more consistently and concretely.
Bio: Lily Thukral, MA, is an English educator and intercultural specialist based in Tokyo. Her recent research examines the Community of Inquiry framework to enhance language teaching through reflective practice. Lily lectures at various universities and conducts workshops on cultural competency, regularly integrating CoI principles into her language education approach.