Abstract:

Universities have a voracious appetite for online courses, as the number of students taking an online class has increased each year for the past ten years. (Sheehy, 2013) While many courses can be successfully delivered in an online format, not every course is suitable for a completely asynchronous on-line experience.

Design courses rely heavily on real-time group critiques, and in order for these critiques to be effective, students must "believe that they are truly living resources for each other." (Ruff, 2010) If the course is offered online and exists only in an asynchronous mode, real-time feedback is not possible. For this reason and for the goal of achieving optimal academic outcomes, an online design class should integrate the critique experience as it would in an in-person course. (Price & Hossfeld, 2007)

The objective of this project is to develop a model for an on-line hybrid synchronous / asynchronous design course. For this case study, we will be teaching Information Architecture online (an upper-level interactive digital media course that is project-based and focuses heavily on design and presentation skills) to students studying in the U.S. and Europe. Lectures and discussions will occur asynchronously using the on-line platform, Canvas, while project presentations and associated critiques will occur synchronously using Web Ex technology.

Throughout this process, we will document and assess the pros and cons of teaching an upper-level design class in this format to determine whether other courses could be taught in this fashion.

References:
[1] Price, J., & Hossfeld, L. (2007). Comparing on-line to in-person course delivery: An empirical study. Sociation Today, 5(1), 1-14.
[2] Ruff, J. (2010, Fall, 2010). Collaboration, critique and classroom culture. Retrieved from http://www.hightechhigh.org/unboxed/issue6/collaboration/
[3] Sheehy, K. (2013, Jan. 8, 2013). Online course enrollment climbs for 10th straight year. U.S. News and World Report,

Keywords:

Online learning, international collaboration, online critiques, design course.