Learning presence in the revised community of inquiry framework: A systematic review of empirical research (2010–2024)

The Community of Inquiry (CoI) framework explains effective online and blended learning through teaching, social, and cognitive presence. To better capture learner agency, learning presence (LP) has been proposed as a fourth dimension. This study presents the first systematic review focused exclusively on LP within the Revised CoI (RCoI), synthesizing 26 quantitative studies published between 2010 and 2024. Following PRISMA guidelines, we analyzed bibliometric trends, conceptual definitions, measurement approaches, and LP's role in relation to other presences and outcomes. The findings indicate that LP is reliably measurable and often mediates the effects of teaching and social presence on cognitive presence. LP is positively associated with learner engagement, satisfaction, and achievement across many contexts, though the strength of these relationships varies. Cross-cultural validations demonstrate broad applicability but also reveal variations requiring further refinement. Overall, LP enhances the explanatory power of the CoI framework by foregrounding learner self-regulation and motivation, though its theoretical boundaries remain contested. This review provides a foundation for advancing theory, measurement, and design practices related to learner agency in online learning.