Online Learning and Intellectual Liberty: A Mixed-Mode Experiment in the Humanities

Sequential Online Course Redesign: When “It Just Takes Time” Works No Longer

“…For students, the online classroom requires navigation of CMS tools, social and academic interaction with classmates, proactive contact with the instructor, and participation from beginning to end (Shen et al, ) without the benefit of a shared physical location and (often) common meeting time. These are significant demands and students can easily become isolated or even “lost” (Breton et al, ; Shen et al, ). Students in online learning environments are more likely to drop out than students in traditional settings (Ali & Leeds, ; Xu & Jaggars, ), and academic leaders report students’ self‐discipline and lower retention rates as continued barriers to the growth of online instruction (Allen & Seaman, ).…”

“…Yet technology offers instructors the opportunity to democratize learning, stimulate higher order levels of thinking, and use diverse (especially current) materials, all while being more flexible to students’ schedules and needs (Breton et al, ; Meyers, ; Robinson & Hullinger, ). Online classrooms can facilitate richer and more participative discussions than face‐to‐face instruction, allow learners the time to think critically and reflectively about their contributions, and even help students create change and engage in the common good through social media platforms (Breton et al, ; Meyers, ; Robinson & Hullinger, ). Through online discussions, students articulate their own views and have greater access to the perspectives of others, which enables them to negotiate, challenge, and ultimately co‐construct knowledge (Breton et al, ; Meyers, ).…”

“…Online classrooms can facilitate richer and more participative discussions than face‐to‐face instruction, allow learners the time to think critically and reflectively about their contributions, and even help students create change and engage in the common good through social media platforms (Breton et al, ; Meyers, ; Robinson & Hullinger, ). Through online discussions, students articulate their own views and have greater access to the perspectives of others, which enables them to negotiate, challenge, and ultimately co‐construct knowledge (Breton et al, ; Meyers, ). Online discussions also invite instructors to step away from the front of the classroom, allowing students a more central role in creating contexts for each other's contributions (Breton et al, ).…”

“…Through online discussions, students articulate their own views and have greater access to the perspectives of others, which enables them to negotiate, challenge, and ultimately co‐construct knowledge (Breton et al, ; Meyers, ). Online discussions also invite instructors to step away from the front of the classroom, allowing students a more central role in creating contexts for each other's contributions (Breton et al, ).…”

Navigating the online missiology classroom: Class design and resources for teaching missiology online

“…Gonzalez (2009) discusses the shift from teacher-centered/content-oriented learning to student-centered/learning-oriented learning that has occurred in online teaching. Breton et al (2005) argue for the value of increased discussion and diversity of opinion that is encouraged in the online classroom. In fact, most resources for online learning spend a great deal of space discussing ways to design course content and how teaching roles need to shift to accommodate the different learning format of the online classroom (cf.…”