Congratulations to Paula Cancro who on Thursday, August 20, 2026, successfully defended her dissertation proposal.
The title of Paula's dissertation is, "A QUALITATIVE STUDY OF EMPATHIC ASYNCHRONOUS ONLINE COURSE DESIGN DECISIONS TO ENSURE SIGNIFICANT STUDENT LEARNING."
The abstract of this study follows:
Overview of Problem: Asynchronous online learning has become a significant part of higher education, yet questions remain regarding how faculty create meaningful learning experiences that support student engagement and success. The rapid shift to remote instruction during the COVID-19 pandemic changed how many instructors approached online teaching and course design, increasing attention to student-centered, empathy-informed approaches. There is still limited research on how faculty intentionally design for significant learning in asynchronous online courses.
Research Purpose: The purpose of this qualitative study is to describe how undergraduate faculty incorporate an understanding of the student into their teaching and course design practices to create meaningful pedagogical experiences in asynchronous online courses. Drawing on Fink’s research, this study considers changes faculty have made in course design to incorporate principles of empathic course design since the remote pivot in education during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Research Design: This study will use an interpretive inquiry methodology to better understand how faculty make meaning of their experiences designing and teaching asynchronous online courses. Fink's Taxonomy will serve as the theoretical lens guiding the study.
Sample: I will recruit approximately 15 full-time and part-time undergraduate faculty members from four-year institutions in the United States who have taught asynchronous online courses both during and since the COVID-19 pandemic. Participants will be recruited through professional networks, social media, and educational organizations.
Data Collection: Data will be collected through semi-structured Zoom interviews and analyzed using both inductive and deductive coding
Dissertation Committee Chair:
Dr. Susan V. Iverson
Dissertation Committee Members:
Dr. Peter Troiano
Dr. Ruth Best
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