Abstract:

Our study investigated promising pedagogical practices and challenges for online learning in higher education. Studying the promising practices and challenges associated with the design and implementation of online learning in higher education is important for a number of reasons. First, since the COVID-19 pandemic, higher education institutions have had to re-examine how robust and resilient their programs are in the face of polycrisis (Rudolph et al., 2021) and uncertainty (OECD, 2018). Second, effective online learning design has the potential to improve the learning experience for students in a professional graduate program, as innovative course structures and technologies can increase learner participation, motivation, engagement and agency (Barber & Kay, 2019; Craig & Kay, 2021; Kay & Hunter, 2022). Finally, innovative course design and tools can support accessibility and inclusivity as a variety of common online learning tools have embedded in them various accessibility features (Ruttenberg-Rozen & Eamer, 2021; Dwyer-Kuntz, 2021). In our research, quantitative and qualitative data were collected over a two-year period via an anonymous student survey that took place at the end of the students’ fall, winter and spring semesters. Four hundred and three students completed the survey over two years. We used Garrison et al.’s (2015, 2017) Community of Inquiry as our theoretical framework to analyze the qualitative data. The survey and qualitative data confirmed that social presence, cognitive presence and teaching presence were essential components of a successful online program. One new component, organizational structure, also contributed to student success. Promising online practices for cognitive presence included focusing on depth, engagement, relevance, real-world perspectives, research, and technology. Effective online practices related to social presence targeted collaboration, connection, discussion and peer support. Noteworthy online strategies related to teaching presence emphasized assessment, clear expectations, feedback, organization, and pedagogical perspective. Finally, optimal structural practices centred on communication, course choice, flexibility, feedback on quality, administrative supports and technology. As higher education adapts to the challenges of the COVID-19 era, our findings emphasize the need for a nuanced approach to implementing social, cognitive and teaching presences in a professional graduate program for effective online teaching and learning. The study also offers new insights into the critical role organizational and structural factors play in this context for student engagement and learning.

Keywords:

Distance learning, online learning, e-learning, instructional design, graduate program, pedagogical practices, educational technology, higher education.