Abstract
The chapter is based on the qualitative research conducted in a Canadian post-secondary institution. The researcher applied an exploratory case study methodology and a semi-structured interview approach. The participants were students who studied in fully online classes, instructors who delivered online courses, and instructional designers of the online courses. They answered sets of questions about the relevance of interpersonal relationships among online classmates to learning. The respondents also discussed how those relationships could be initiated, developed, and cultivated in an online course by means of instructional design and the implementation of facilitation strategies and techniques. This chapter examines how instructional designers and instructors can design and foster a collaborative learning environment. The research topic is beneficial to adult education instructors, instructional designers, faculty, higher education administrators, educational technologists, students, and scholars who are interested in researching course design for collaborative online learning.
TopBackground
The literature review involves both current and older works. It allows the author to examine scholarly views on interpersonal relationships between online students and possible approaches for developing student-to-student relationships in online classes.
Key Terms in this Chapter
Online Course: An online course is a form of education that allows students to attend lectures and do homework via the internet. An online course usually consists of pre-recorded lessons or live lectures, interactive and off-line tests, synchronous and asynchronous discussions.
Course Design Elements and Features: The terms “course design elements” and “course design features” can be used interchangeably. However, course design elements may include needs identification and assessment, setting learning objectives, organizing the sequence of learning, and evaluation procedures. Course design features might be smaller components of course design such as a video, text, learning activity, the way a discussion board is organized, etc.
Online Program: An online program can be delivered entirely online or in a blended format, synchronously or asynchronously. Although some online programs do not require the student’s physical presence on a university campus, others are delivered in a blended format with mandatory training on-campus. In some programs, students choose to take required and elective courses online or in a face-to-face class. In this study, the researcher examined the programs delivered fully online.
Synchronous Format: A synchronous format of learning is when students and instructors communicate in real time simultaneously. For example, an online class via Zoom conference software is considered a synchronous session.
Course/Instructional Design: In the study, the terms “course design” and “instructional design” are used interchangeably and mean the process of developing learning environments including building course structures in the online learning management systems, creating program curricula and course syllabuses.
Interpersonal Relationships: The term “interpersonal relationships” refers to social and emotional connections with others. In this study, the author examined the interpersonal relationships between students in an online learning environment.
Adult Learner: An adult learner is an individual who participates in the learning process and has distinctive characteristics described by Knowles (1980) . These characteristics are known as principles of andragogy. The andragogy assumptions include a self-directive concept of learning, the role of learners’ experience, readiness to learn, and orientation toward practical knowledge ( Knowles, 1980 ). Adult learners may participate in college and university programs, community programs, or job training programs. In the context of this research, an adult learner is a student enrolled in an online undergraduate program in a post-secondary institution.
Asynchronous Format: An asynchronous format of learning is a form of learning when students have an opportunity to access lectures and do their assignments at their convenience. Communications between classmates and between students and instructors are maintained through email or via online forums and chats.
Online Student: A student enrolled in an online program or online course that could be delivered in a blended or entirely online format.