Who Cares? Student-Instructor Relationalities in Remote Learning Through an Ethic of Care Pedagogy

Grant program: Teaching and Learning Development Grant (TLDG)

Grant recipient: Leanne Roderick, lecturer, Geography, Faculty of the Environment

Project team: Sam Clark, research assistant; Sheena Tan, TILT research assistant

Timeframe: September 2021 to October 2023

Funding: $5,000

Course addressed: GEOG 100 - Our World: Introducing Human Geography

Final Report: View Leanne Roderick's final report (PDF)

Description: 

This project examined how an ethic of care can be operationalized in online course design to improve student motivation, engagement, and learning experiences. Prompted by challenges during pandemic-era remote teaching, the project redesigned GEOG 100 using principles from care pedagogy, universal design, and online learning research.

Three key design areas were prioritized: grading, communication, and reflection. A labour-based grading approach emphasized effort and process over competition, offering flexible deadlines, revision opportunities, and student choice. Course activities followed a structured “learning cadence” of preparation, engagement, and reflection tasks, supporting consistency and self-regulated learning. Communication strategies included regular check-ins, encouraging feedback, and a “just say yes” approach to student requests, fostering trust and support.

Data collection included a pre-course survey, mid-course feedback, weekly reflections, and post-course focus groups. Mixed-methods analysis revealed strong student support for care-oriented design. Most students reported perceiving an ethic of care, improved learning, and meaningful engagement. Students identified flexible grading, clear communication, revision opportunities, and peer interaction as key contributors to motivation.

Focus group findings indicated that labour-based grading encouraged deeper engagement, improved study habits, and supported connections between course content and lived experience. Students also reported increased confidence and willingness to take intellectual risks.

While implementation required significant instructor effort, the project demonstrates that care-centered, flexible online course design can meaningfully enhance student learning and engagement. Subsequent iterations focused on simplifying grading structures and expanding opportunities for creativity and community-building.

Questions addressed:

• Do students perceive that an ethic of care improves their learning?
• What is the relationship between student perceptions of care and active engagement in the course?
•  Does online learning pedagogy informed by an ethic of care positively impact student motivation?
•  Did the course design elements connected with an ethic of care have a positive impact on student motivation and meaning?

Knowledge sharing: Findings have been shared through peer observation activities, departmental discussions, and institutional communications. The project informed a workshop at the International Society for the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning (ISSoTL) Conference (November 2023) on alternative grading strategies and care-based pedagogy. Future plans include co-authoring a SoTL publication on the relationship between care, alternative assessment, and student motivation.

Keywords: Ethic of care; labour-based grading; alternative grading; student motivation; meaningful teaching and learning