Designing a blended online course that meaningfully integrates Generative AI (GenAI) tools presents a complex yet exciting opportunities. The challenge lies not just in incorporating cutting-edge technology – which is always abundant these days- but in ensuring that such integration actually improves the learning experience while maintaining academic integrity, and a student-centered pedagogical approach.
At the core of this design process is the learner experience, which must be intentionally structured around principles from Universal Design for Learning (UDL), Community of Practice (CoP), and ABC Learning Design. UDL offers a framework to ensure accessibility and inclusion by providing multiple means of engagement, representation, and expression—crucial for diverse student cohorts in online environments. CoP and ABC Learning Design further support collaboration and structure, encouraging both peer interaction and scaffolded content delivery.
One of the primary design challenges that we discussed in our PBL group is: blending synchronous and asynchronous modalities to support deep learning. Synchronous components (e.g., live webinars, feedback sessions, collaborative workshops) foster immediacy and social presence, vital for maintaining student motivation and a sense of community (Rovai & Jordan, 2004). Meanwhile, asynchronous activities (e.g., recorded lectures, guided exercises, and reflective journals) provide flexibility and self-paced learning, accommodating diverse learning styles and life circumstances.
Research shows that blended learning approaches lead to higher student satisfaction and success compared to either fully online or face-to-face modalities alone (Dziuban et al., 2018). The design must thus ensure both modalities are not merely co-existing but pedagogically integrated, each complementing the other. However, this is not always possible, but creativity can help here.
The integration of GenAI tools like ChatGPT poses both tremendous promise and serious ethical questions. On the one hand, GenAI can assist in generating ideas, summarizing research, and developing analytical skills through interactive dialogue. On the other hand, it risks being misused for shortcutting genuine learning, especially if assessments are not thoughtfully redesigned. To test this intuition we actually simulated a course scaffolding using Microsoft Copilot.
To uphold academic integrity, we understood that it is essential to:
-
Redesign assessment using reflective journals, scaffolded projects, and live presentations to make misuse less feasible and more detectable (Chan, 2023).
-
Provide transparent AI guidelines so students understand what constitutes ethical use (Shishavan, 2024).
-
Engage students in co-designing AI policies, promoting a shared culture of responsibility rather than one of surveillance (Gocen & Aydemir, 2020).
-
Educate faculty on both AI capabilities and their pedagogical implications, ensuring they can guide students meaningfully.
By framing AI not as a threat but as a tool for empowerment—within clear, thoughtfully designed boundaries—educators can model responsible and critical use of new technologies.
