Studenters erfarenheter av närvaro och kvalitet i nätburen högre utbildning

Sammanfattning

This study examines how students experience teachers’ pedagogical digital competence in online higher education and which factors are perceived as crucial for teaching quality. The analysis is grounded in the Community of Inquiry (CoI) framework. The findings show that pedagogical digital competence is primarily expressed through teaching presence, manifested in clear design and structure, active facilitation of dialogue, and clarifying and responsive teaching. Social presence emerges as a fundamental prerequisite for participation and meaningful interaction, where a supportive and inclusive communication climate, visibility, and established communication norms are central. Cognitive presence is enabled through the interaction between teaching presence and social presence, creating conditions for reflection, integration, and application of knowledge. Overall, the study demonstrates that quality in online higher education is shaped through the interplay of teaching presence, social presence, and cognitive presence, with teachers’ pedagogical digital competence constituting a central prerequisite.