Design patterns for online learning environments: A structured approach for operationalizing and sharing theory-based design knowledge

As classrooms gain greater access to information technology and reliable access to the Internet, teachers and students have started to take advantage of Internet-based resources to support learning activities. However, teachers and students have found that resource accuracy, and trust in these resources in general, are pervading issues for those wishing to use Internet-based resources. Digital libraries have begun to help teachers and students evaluate online scientific information through learning tools such as digital-library-enabled online learning environments.; Despite a growing body of research on science-focused online learning, it is difficult for designers to find clear, structured, extendible design guidelines for building effective online learning environments. This thesis examines whether principled design guidelines directed at online learning system designers and builders can be synthesized from the existing body of research on science-focused online learning environments and how these guidelines can be represented to help designers build, and share knowledge about, effective online learning environments.; To address these questions, this thesis creates a list of the patterns of communications between teachers and students in project-based online learning environments, captures these patterns of communications using a pedagogical design pattern format created through an analysis and synthesis of different software and human-computer interaction (HCI) patterns, and develops a structured pedagogical design pattern approach to help designers collaborate in building online learning environments.; Preliminary evaluation of this approach, using a "design walkthrough", indicates that this structured design pattern approach shows strong promise in helping designers create, and share knowledge about, online learning environments. This approach is particularly promising in the context of collaboration between designers.