A critique of calculation and optionalization applied to online/blended course design

Keywords

Online course design, Blended course design, Higher education, Calculative practices, Optionalized practices, Case study research

Abstract

This article reports research into calculative and optionalized forms of online/blend- ed course design in higher education. This was investigated through a critical case study, centered on two faculty members and one instructional designer at a univer- sity in the United States, and using an interpretive framework that highlighted the effects of calculation and optionalization in education. The course design practices at the designer’s disposal tended to distort the teaching ideals towards which the faculty members aimed, along with many of the teaching approaches they relied on to achieve their goals. The faculty often felt restricted in their ability to form rela- tionships with their students, while also observing that students tended to resist their attempts to engage in what they referred to as formational activities. Through these and other experiential tensions, the faculty left the project with a pervasive sense of ambiguity about course design and its contribution towards their experience as educators. The article concludes by exploring what implications these findings have for the study and practice of online/blended course design in higher education.

Original Publication Citation

McDonald, J. K., & Costa, I. M. (2024). A critique of calculation and optionalization applied to online/blended course design. Journal of Computing in Higher Education. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12528-024-09409-1

Document Type

Peer-Reviewed Article

Publication Date

2024-07-27

Publisher

Springer

Language

English

College

David O. McKay School of Education

Department

Instructional Psychology and Technology

University Standing at Time of Publication

Full Professor

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