The online learning environment affords educators the unprecedented opportunity to reach students anytime and anywhere. It affords the learner the opportunity to take advantage of higher education due to convenience and accessibility. While this new landscape provides unlimited teaching and learning options, we need to be cognizant of the challenges that arise when designing and developing courses. Not everyone wants to participate in distance education; that includes instructors and learners. As we design courses, one issue we do need to consider is this; are we providing learners with comparable learning experiences regardless of the delivery method?
This design research looks at the issues concerning designing and developing courses for the online and on-ground learning environments in order to ensure that learning outcomes are met via the design process. The concern of equality in learning is at the heart of this design process. The process was applied to the concurrent design and development of an online and on ground course at various universities in India. Some years ago, a team faculty member was tasked with conducting a review of the six core courses in an MBA programs. Read the rest of this entry »