As online distance education courses continue to expand their reach and serve a broader audience, we are required to understand the affordances and challenges of supporting equitable learning environments. The globalization of online distance education requires instructional designers and educators to work outside of their own bias to address a learner population that represents a […]
Author: Rebecca Heiser
Social Presence Expectations in Distance Education
How can learning design adapt social presence to the needs and expectations of learners in online distance education? In the book, Reclaiming Conversation: The Power of Talk in a Digital Age by Sherry Turkle, she explores the relationship of our digital addiction to connect socially at the expense of face-to-face interactions. In her research, Turkle reports that […]
Design Thinking: An Identity in Crisis
Design thinking has been accepted by many. Unfortunately, as the terminology continues to gain traction, many adopters vaguely apply design-like processes to solve wicked problems, under the guise of “design thinking”. Perhaps it’s time to do something different. Maybe it’s time to re-identify. What is Design Thinking? Beginning in the 1950’s creative techniques and problem-solving […]