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.

Table of Contents:
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

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

Review :
"In this book, Patrick Dempsey skillfully distills broad ranging conceptual literature into accessible prose that will enlighten practitioners. This is essential reading for online educators across sectors seeking guidance on how to transform theory into practice in online and blended instructional environments." —Peter Shea, Professor of Education Theory and Practice & Informatics at the State University of New York at Albany, USA, and Editor-in-Chief of the Online Learning Journal"This book shines a new light on our role in the future of higher education. Patrick Dempsey suggests that, through presence and community-building, we can create the online spaces that allow students to accommodate opposing viewpoints, thereby giving them opportunities to develop, grow, and transform. He then provides us the pathway to get there with his trademark conversational humility and humor. Well-researched, thought-provoking, and inspiring." —Aimee Whiteside, Associate Professor of English and Writing at the University of Tampa, USA, and Co-Editor of Social Presence in Online Learning: Multiple Perspectives on Practice and Research"Dr. Dempsey provides exceptional insights into the way that digitalization has transformed online communities in higher education. Not only has he connected theory to practice in developing transformative online communities, he has also offered evidence-based approaches on how to engage online learners from a distance that are applicable to both faculty and staff in the era of COVID-19. This work will be an invaluable resource for those new to the field as well as those who seek to design or redesign their online courses to ensure transformative learning." —Roy Y. Chan, Assistant Professor of Education and Director of the Ed.D. Program at Lee University, USA, and author of Online Teaching and Learning in Higher Education During COVID-19: International Perspectives and Experiences"One of the biggest questions in the digitization of universities is how to create community and socialization. Building from theory to practice, Dr. Dempsey takes on the challenges of online learning in higher education by outlining strategies and rationales to foster community, place, and interactions. This practical guide will be relevant to the higher education sector as it continues to grapple with the rapid changes of the last few years." —Ryan M. Allen, Assistant Professor in the Donna Ford Attallah College of Educational Studies at Chapman University, USA "Highly original and to-the-point, this book offers authentic resources for both students and faculty in online teaching and learning experiences and the use of technology in the United States and around the world." —Krishna Bista, Professor of Higher Education at Morgan State University, USA