Using Online Courses to Teach about Leisure Behavior and Human Diversity: A Case Study of Course Improvement

Abstract

Online courses have become common in leisure studies and recreation education university programs, yet little is known about online instruction in this field, especially in courses about human diversity. Therefore, the purpose of this paper is (1) to discuss literature relevant to online courses about human diversity broadly, and in a leisure studies and recreation education context specifically, and (2) to discuss key findings from implementation of an online course about leisure behavior and human diversity. We take a key interest in the effectiveness of community-engaged learning as a teaching and learning tool. Using a case study approach, we systematically evaluated two courses to inform our course improvement. Students reported what they learned, elements of the course that contributed to their learning, and changes that would enhance their learning. We discuss key course components, our revisions, and provide suggestions for creating high-quality online courses about leisure behavior and human diversity.

Keywords:

• Cyber pedagogy
• community-engaged learning
• diversity
• evaluation