Creating Transformative Online Communities in Higher Education

Creating Transformative Online Communities in Higher Education provides a practical approach for building authentic learning experiences into the design and delivery of online teaching and learning systems. Combining three conceptually related ideas-complexity theory, transformative learning, and the Community of Inquiry-this novel, highly applicable framework enables instructors to create compelling virtual learning experiences for students. As higher education faculty, instructional designers, and graduate students shift from presenting information to creating experiences, the book offers an evidence-based disruption of the current thinking on and practice of course design.

Patrick R. Dempsey is Education Faculty and Director of the Office of Digital Teaching & Learning at Loyola University, USA.

Section 1: Theory 1. Openness to Otherness 2. Transformative Learning Theory 3. Community of Inquiry 4. Transformative Learning within a Community of Inquiry 5. Complexity Theory Section 2: Practice 6. The Space 7. The Opportunity 8. Transformation in Practice-More than Just a Practice