Expanding possibilities for student participation in online learning environments for practice-based teaching

Abstract

Developing primarily practice-oriented university courses for an online format challengespedagogical ideas about learning communities, participation, and involvement in learningsituations. Here, we report on a didactic design experiment, the aim of which was to design anonline learning environment that supported practice-based learning and in which possibilities forparticipation were strengthened and expanded. The experiment was conducted during a 14-weekuniversity course on co-design, in which the teachers designed different digital tools and learningactivities to strengthen the students’ feelings of belonging and community and student-to-studentinspiration. The topics discussed in this paper include how to rethink teaching practices in relationto online digital learning spaces and—a new practice that emerged from the design experiment—how to create “in-between spaces.” These spaces can be considered slow spaces that supportreflection and discussion, are less exposed, and can be created within and between lectures.