All’s Well that Sims Well: Incorporating the Community of Inquiry Framework in an Asynchronous Graduate Level Security Studies Simulation

This paper provides a comprehensive model for incorporating simulations into an asynchronous graduate-level course in Security Studies. Specifically, we ask whether simulations can effectively increase student engagement in a fully online course environment. We suggest that by using innovative technology and adopting simulations created by the Council on Foreign Relations (CFR), simulations can increase student engagement holistically through the Community of Inquiry model, focusing on the full “educational experience.” By applying the Community of Inquiry to the Security Studies digital environment, this paper provides the method necessary to increase the three facets of the holistic education experience: Cognitive Presence, Social Presence, and Teaching Presence. It has often been noted that asynchronous courses lack effective means to immerse and engage students fully. Still, we demonstrate that with slight adjustments to CFR simulations, using innovative technologies can bridge the gap between distance learning and experiential activities.