Redesigning Online Computer Science for Student-Centered Problem-Based Learning

The Online Redesign Challenge

With this assessment of the quality of the program, the program designers sought to engage in a redesign of the online program to incorporate more active learning, where students worked in groups, shared ideas and engaged in critical reflection such that they valued shared and individual knowledge development. After extensive analysis of many undergraduate degree computer science programs and best practices in online education, the research team proposed a redesign of the program to incorporate a student-centered, problem-based learning (PBL) approach in this online post-baccalaureate degree program (Jonassen, 2000). To direct the redesign effort, the research team identified the need for the addition of a social presence with the cognitive and teaching presences for the courses (Garrison, Archer & Anderson, 1999; Garrison & Cleveland-Innes, 2005) in order to activate the student-centered aspect.