The top-down approach of assigning the whole class articles by authors of historically privileged identities, and expecting students to dutifully read and reflect in writing, is an ineffective way to respect, excite, connect with, and challenge students, most especially students of identities historically marginalized in the online academy. In…

In recent times, there has been a strong focus on moving university teaching away from a so-called 'instructivist', lecture-centred mode, in which the focus is on what teachers are doing, towards a more student-centred 'constructivist' approach, centred on active learning and students' own constructions of knowledge. This paper considers the…

This paper discusses the "Just Keep Solving" apps that are designed based on deliberate practice model for developing mathematical skills. Features of deliberate practice include well-defined goals involving areas of weakness as determined by a knowledgeable other such as a teacher. The integration of game design features provides a…

This paper details the redesign and implementation of an introductory Family Science and Human Development (FSHD) undergraduate course. The redesign implemented a flipped classroom approach, grounded in constructivist theory and active learning methods. A flipped classroom approach shifts traditional lecture-based classwork to an…

Today more than ever before, we have access to new technologies which provide unforeseen opportunities for educators to pursue new innovations in online education. Pursuing innovation is a complex process! It starts with an idea, but that needs to be coupled with the right team of experts willing to take big risks and put in the hard work to build…

Teacher presence has been considered one of the cornerstones of students' motivation and engagement in traditional and online education. However, we argue that diminished teacher presence can actually be beneficial for building a democratic, student-led classroom. We hypothesize that this can be achieved through the use of an Open Source Educative…

The purpose of this article is to contribute to the emergent body of research that addresses the changing landscape of education transitioning from brick and mortar to online/remote learning. A review of related literature for this paper includes an early perspective of online education, emergent trends, methods used to support educators and…

With national graduation rates that range from 32% among open enrollment institutions to 66% among private not-for-profits, higher education institutions have a moral imperative to improve the success of their students. Interventions to support today's students must consider the student holistically, be just-in-time, and come from a…

Upon enrolling in a university course, students typically commit to a predetermined study mode: on-campus, online, or a hybrid/blended study mode. The education provider typically predetermines which study mode/ s are available for each course. In this paper, the authors address the challenges of designing and trialling a new "StudyFlex"…

The idea of student-centered learning is not new; teachers have long sought to design personalized, competency-based environments that are tailored to individuals and that empower students to drive their own learning. What is new is the emergence of an online learning ecosystem and, with it, the technical possibility of equipping all students with…

Over the last two decades, online learning adoption happened gradually in K-12 schools, mostly among innovators and early adopters. Then in 2020, the onset of COVID-19 ignited widespread adoption of emergency online learning, practically overnight. Online learning moved swiftly from the periphery to the core of K-12 education since it offered the…

This paper reflects on recent teaching and learning practices in two undergraduate human geography modules at the University of the Western Cape: GES111 "Introduction to Human Geography" and GES225 Space, Place and Mobility in Southern Africa. Content in both modules focuses on mobilities theory and its application toward understanding…

In current education there is a trend called bring your own devices (BYOD), this refers to the policy of use of resources that allows students to bring their own mobile device to use in the classroom. BYOD allows students and educators to take advantage of technological tools to improve learning and instruction. Mobile devices in a BYOD…

The online learning community is frequently referred to, but ill defined. The constructivist philosophy and approach to teaching and learning is both an effective means of constructing an online learning community and it is a tool by which to define key elements of the learning community. In order to build a nurturing, self-sustaining online…

This paper shows that the flexibility of time as a potential of Computer Assisted Language Learning (CALL) proves the sustainability of its latest stage -- Ubiquitous CALL. Firstly, the ideas of the Third Millennium Pedagogy are combined with the ethical and philosophical principles of sustainable education. One of the descriptors of the…