Learning through experience: Using design based research to redesign protocols for blended synchronous learning environments

Blended synchronous environments offer benefits to learners in terms of flexibility, but there are technological and pedagogical challenges in implementing this approach. Protocols, which are highly structured discussion strategies designed to promote trust, equity, and diversity, have the potential to address some of these challenges. This exploratory study used a design based research methodology to iteratively design, implement, and assess a blended synchronous learning environment leveraging the use of protocols in a graduate education course. Across three iterations, a combination of qualitative data collection and analysis procedures were used to examine the influence of protocols on the experiences of the instructor and students in a blended synchronous environment. The findings included several assertions. Students appreciated taking on greater leadership roles through facilitating protocols when they perceived the outcome of their facilitation successful. Students became hyperaware of the time when the technology caused timing issues with the protocols. Trust of the protocol was hindered by the unpredictability of the blended synchronous learning environment. And, deep connections to texts were unachievable due to the multitasking required in blended synchronous settings. These findings resulted in a set of contextualized design propositions that contribute to the literature on both protocols and blended synchronous environments. The propositions included: (a) enabling active participation through distributed roles, (b) creating equity through flexible structures, (c) fostering trust through re-norming, and (d) prompting connections with texts by reducing task complexity.