Conclusion

Although online learning has been around for quite a long time (Weston 2009), actually implementing it is still relatively new for many educational practitioners, especially those who have been using the same curriculum and pedagogy for many years.  What is encouraging about this body of research is that whilst engaging in online teaching and learning may require the acquisition and development of new technological skills, the educational foundation is the same (Pallof & Pratt, 2004).  The greatest example in the literature that has been explored in this paper is developing a sense of community, (the social presence aspect of the online Community of Inquiry), within a learning environment (Anderson et al, 2001, Garrison et al, 1999, den Exter et al, 2012, Garrison 2007, Kreijns et al, 2014, Mazoue, 1999, Palloff & Pratt, 2004, Rourke et al, 1999, Swan, 2001, Weston, 2009).  

Good practitioners already know how to do this.  It just takes a little tweaking to apply this knowledge to a new context—the online learning environment!  It is hoped that after reviewing this literature, teachers will better understand how to improve course design, teaching presence, and a sense of community to create a better online learning experience for their students.