#28: Embracing the Complexity of a Learning Ecology Design for an Online Asynchronous Undergraduate Science Course

Online asynchronous courses present a fundamental challenge in that uniform designs encounter wonderfully diverse learners, creating heterogeneous experiences that traditional analytics fail to capture. This study adopts a complex systems perspective drawing on principles from cognitive constructivist, social constructivist, constructionist, and transformative learning theories to understand learning ecologies in an undergraduate marine science course. Using learning experience network analysis (LENA), we analyzed 38 student reflection papers, identifying patterns among struggles, aspects that worked well, and theoretical alignments. Three distinct learning ecologies emerged. Foundational Learner experiences engaged primarily with cognitive constructivist processes. Collaborator experiences thrived in social meaning-making frameworks. Transformer experiences navigated transformative learning through critical reflection. Rather than universalized designs, we developed ecology-specific design moves that embraced the complexity and messiness of learning. This approach suggested that powerful online learning design requires environments capable of supporting multiple simultaneous learning ecologies rather than flattening student diversity into averaged experiences.