Artificial Intelligence and Communities of Inquiry: Reimagining Educational Experiences

Stefan Stenbom; D. Randy Garrison

doi:10.19173/irrodl.v27i2.9314

Authors

Stefan Stenbom KTH Royal Institute of Technology, Sweden https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8200-6021
D. Randy Garrison University of Calgary, Canada https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8259-5671

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.19173/irrodl.v27i2.9314

Keywords:

artificial intelligence (AI), the community of inquiry (CoI) framework, shared metacognition, critical thinking, collaborative inquiry

Abstract

Generative artificial intelligence (AI) is transforming education, creating opportunities for personalization, efficiency, and engagement while also raising concerns about misinformation, overreliance, and the erosion of critical thinking. To navigate these tensions, this article argues for the necessity of a coherent theoretical framework to guide the educational adoption of AI. Drawing on the Community of Inquiry (CoI) framework and its construct of shared metacognition, we outline how collaborative inquiry can integrate AI in ways that preserve human agency and sustain deep and meaningful learning.

We examine the potential for AI to assume multiple roles within a community of inquiry—supporting instructional design, guiding learners as an independent resource, assisting instructors through analytics, participating in discussions, and sustaining dialogical partnerships with students. While these roles highlight the capacity of AI to enrich learning communities, they also underscore risks of passivity, diminished authenticity, and overdependence if reflective inquiry is bypassed.

We argue that shared metacognition—collective monitoring and management of thinking—offers a responsible pathway for educators and learners to engage critically with AI-generated outputs, ensuring that technology strengthens rather than supplants collaborative inquiry. In conclusion, we contend that AI can contribute to worthwhile educational experiences only when framed within a coherent conceptual perspective that emphasizes skeptical engagement, collaborative reflection, and the preservation of human purpose. In this regard, the CoI framework has considerable potential to provide understanding and guidance in the adoption of AI tools.

Author Biographies

Stefan Stenbom, KTH Royal Institute of Technology, Sweden

Stefan Stenbom is an Associate Professor of Learning in Engineering Sciences at KTH Royal Institute of Technology, Sweden. His research focuses on digital learning environments, particularly the Community of Inquiry framework, and how technologies such as artificial intelligence can support meaningful, collaborative, and inquiry-based learning. He is also engaged in educational development and serves as chair of the Portfolio for Digitalization of Education at KTH.

D. Randy Garrison, University of Calgary, Canada

Randy Garrison is Professor Emeritus at the University of Calgary, Canada. His research has focused on the theoretical and practical foundations of distance and online education, with particular emphasis on collaborative constructivism and critical thinking. He is widely known for developing the Community of Inquiry framework and Shared Metacognition, which have significantly influenced research and practice in online and blended learning.

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