Applying the Polysynchronous Learning to Foster the Student-centered Learning in the Higher Education Context: A Blended Course Design

Teaching and learning computer programming has posed great challenges for both instructors and students. An emerging blended learning mode - polysynchronous learning has potentials to motivate and engage students in the programming learning process, to optimize students' programming learning experiences, and to transform the computer programming teaching and learning. This paper aims to integrate the polysynchronous learning, as a communication model, with the student-centered learning, as a pedagogical approach, to design a graduate-level course - App Design and Development. The authors primarily focuses on describing my decision-making process of the physical environment design, the technologies and tools selection, and the polysynchronous learning activity design, as well as specific details regarding these three aspects. Moreover, potentials, challenges, and implications of applying the polysynchronous learning to foster the student-centered learning in the higher education context are discussed.