A practical guide to virtual debriefings: communities of inquiry perspective

Advances in Simulation

Table 3 Strategies to enhance cognitive presence in virtual debriefings

	Strategy	Descriptor	Benefits
Pre-debriefing	Conduct a briefing	Orient the learner to the collaborative environment—how to mute, how to activate gallery view, how to use the chatbox	Establishes expectations and familiarizes learners to the online learning environment
Pre-debriefing	Communicate rules of engagement	Sharing expectations for how to communicate, including the use of raise hand feature, speaking up, emphasizing privacy and confidentiality, waiting for others to finish speaking before you speak, muting computer when not speaking, close distractions (email, phone) in the work area	Learners clearly understand how to communicate in the virtual environment; contributes to establishing a collaborative learning environment
During debriefing	Apply learner-centered debriefing strategies	Learner-centered strategies encourage learners to identify problems, connect ideas, identify solutions, and apply new concepts	Promotes engagement of learners and reflective discourse; contributes to establishing a collaborative learning environment
	Reduce learner cognitive load	Excess cognitive load can impede learners’ ability to retain new ideas or concepts	Promotes engagement of learners and reflective discourse
	Use online breakout rooms	Separate virtual breakout rooms permit smaller group discussion	Promotes engagement of learners and reflective discourse; contributes to establishing a collaborative learning environment

ISSN: 2059-0628