Learning by Design in a Digital World: Students' Attitudes towards a New Pedagogical Model for Online Academic Learning

摘要

Despite the fact that the blended learning model is considered today the preferred model for online course design, there is still ambiguity regarding its implementation in educational systems and regarding the optimal proportions between online learning and F2F meetings in various learning scenarios. The present research examined students' perceptions of pedagogical and design issues of a fully-online course at the Open University of Israel, which offers a new model for blended online learning. Fifty-eight of the course's students completed a questionnaire regarding three major aspects of the course's design: (1) pedagogy, (2) textbook format (print vs. digital) and (3) usability issues in designing the course's learning environment. Results illustrate the importance of a particular in-advance pedagogical and visual design of online learning and the potential of the course's model in creating meaningful learning, which takes into account the state-of-the-art knowledge on the major pedagogical considerations in online learning.