Background: Online interaction in blended learning is leveraged through social presence and convergence. However, little systematic work currently exists on how researchers have explored these challenges in higher education institutions and no studies have synthesised these challenges. Objectives: The purpose of this study is to give a novel…

In contemporary higher education systems, the processes of assessment and feedback are often seen as coexisting activities. As a result, they have become entangled in both policy and practice, resulting in a conceptual and practical blurring of their unique purposes. In this paper, we present a critical examination of the issues created by the…

In the rapidly evolving landscape of higher education, we are witnessing an unprecedented surge in the use of Artificial Intelligence (AI). This rapid surge necessitates a thorough exploration of how faculty members, instructional designers, and researchers adopt AI, especially GenAI, using learning design practices. The present research study…

Research has recognized that a student's culture plays a role in how they experience an online learning environment, and many higher education institutions are challenged by retaining and graduating historically underserved students identified as a "success gap". For historically underserved students -- defined in this study as students…

The ever-changing digital context, digital habits and pressures, demands and practices, often contribute to online learners experiencing burnout, stress, fatigue, sleep deprivation, cognitive overwhelm, and work-life imbalance, just to mention a few issues identified in literature. With the rise of online learning offerings, an increasing number…

Purpose: Lack of appropriate student support and drawbacks in academic progression signify the importance of enhancing assessment and feedback in higher education (HE). Although assessment and feedback are significant in HE, minimal empirical research holistically explores the best practices. This study aims to address the niche and develop a…

Online learning, especially in higher education, has grown in recent years and the study of its didactic implications has also increased. Online experiences have been found to be as successful as face-to-face ones, but there is a concern about a lack of social interaction among students. This makes it necessary for teachers to plan collaborative…

This article describes two activities that were developed to support experienced faculty members in the transition to online teaching in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. These activities were designed to help faculty work through the first two steps of an informal instructional design process: 1) reflecting on existing course objectives and…

Higher education faculty face an array of challenges in designing instruction to meet the needs of a diverse student population. Frameworks aligned with Universal Design (UD) have demonstrated effectiveness in meeting the needs of diverse learners and two frameworks, Universal Design for Learning (UDL) and Universal Design of Instruction (UDI),…

Higher education institutions are increasingly looking to implement online and distance learning (ODL) options for students. Professional development for the design of ODL is needed to support these strategies. This study explores how, in what ways, and to what extent, design for ODL approaches from a series of Learning Design & Course…

Purpose: This research attempts to reveal ways of addressing challenges in open universities related to empowering lifelong learning; establishing policies and strategies in dropouts, student portfolio and support services for students with special needs; and implementing online instructional design and strategies. Two institutions were…

The learning requirements of diverse groups of students in higher education challenge educators to design learning interventions that meet the need of 21st century students. A model was developed to assist lecturers, especially those that are new to the profession, to use a blended approach to design meaningful learning interventions for…

Massification is a reality facing universities around the world. While increased access to higher education has significant social and economic benefits, rapid growth in class sizes challenges institutions to maintain quality standards while teaching at scale, amidst ongoing cost pressure. This paper analyses this issue within the Australian…

This guidebook is designed for institutional leaders and student success teams who are ready to talk openly about the students they serve and who are eager to learn practical strategies from national experts and peer institutions. We cannot design an experience that meets our students where they are unless we holistically understand who they are.…

This book presents how to keep working on education in contexts of crisis, such as emergencies, zones of conflict, wars and health pandemics such as COVID-19. Specifically, this work shows a number of strategies to support global learning and teaching in online settings. Particularly, it first presents how to facilitate knowledge sharing and…