This research evaluates the strategies implemented to support the research activities of postgraduate students pursuing online master's programs in the University of the West Indies Open Campus, as well as the activities of their supervisors. The three main strategies employed were (1) the use of a web-based 'teaching-learning space' to facilitate asynchronous interaction between students and their supervisors; (2) the provision of a scheduling tool to facilitate the planning of one-on-one meetings via a synchronous web-conferencing tool; and (3) the organization of research seminars using the same web-conferencing tool.This research used Moore's theory of transactional distance and social cognitive theoretical framework to guide the project. Moore's model reemphasizes the need for stronger forms of communicating for online students, whereas the cognitive framework focuses on the need for social interaction among learner and teacher. Participants were graduate students (n = 34 ). All participants were required to complete a questionnaire online. Data were also collected from postings in discussion forums. Overall, notwithstanding limitations, the data shows there are benefits to be gained from conducting student research activities in an online environment.

Blended learning remains at the top of higher education/technology issues lists despite having been in practice on college and university campuses for 20 years. However, a review of blended learning research literature suggests that innovation in blended learning models has been lacking. This chapter positions innovation in blended learning as a leadership challenge, not merely for the niche concerns of learning technology professionals but as a strategy to fulfill the higher education mission of student success. The chapter authors assert that, while blended learning's very flexibility often curtails its systemic implementation, when undertaken as an institutional leadership challenge, new configurations of blended learning implemented through cross-institutional partnerships hold great promise.

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This chapter examines the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on existing learning spaces and emerging learning spaces. The authors address the need to restructure teacher education programs to prepare teachers for flexible teaching in various modalities. Throughout this book chapter, the authors anchor their positions using research-based literature, highlighting the need for new and emerging spaces to ensure the learner's diversity about content delivery, student experience, and the management of these learning spaces. Additionally, the authors provide a critical overview of the need to redesign learning spaces to accommodate learning as learning and knowledge assessments. The chapter concludes by providing readers with a framework anchored on the teacher enterprise domain designed to evaluate and examine new and emerging learning spaces within the context of teacher, structure, content, and learners.