Some of the adjustments to the course that occurred in each iteration over time included the following:
• content updates and additions;
• turnover rate of graduate student instructors;
• introduction of new technologies;
• minor tweaks to scheduling;
• better grasp of the structure of the course; and
• maturity of materials used in the course.
Research into these aspects could provide more insight into what specifically caused the drop and subsequent rise in SOC across the iterations.
Further research is also needed in determining how the importance of SOC to participants affects the SOC felt in a course. Our findings indicate that there might be a connection between participants’ perception of SOC importance and the overall SOC felt, as those who agreed SOC was important gave a higher SOC score than those who disagreed. Research into whether this perception influences or is influenced by SOC in a classroom could provide additional insight into course design.
Age of participants is another factor that requires further research. Moore (1989) mentioned that the interaction between students was more important for younger learners. Since the learners in our study were adult learners and more self-motivated, a study of SOC at different age levels would provide insight into what designs prove best for transitioning to a blended format for younger students.
Finally, as with all research into SOC, further research is required in different contexts. SOC may not have been as important in our course due to its design, which emphasized more individual projects and that required technical skills and not necessarily collaborative and discursive ones. Other blended courses that require more interaction among peers and the instructor may provide additional insights into context-specific blended design pedagogies.