When Alex Gainer decided to collaborate with the course design team in Online Learning and Continuing Education (OCE) to upgrade his online economics classes, he never anticipated the process would be so enjoyable or the results so impressive – so much so that it has received international recognition.
In 2020, during the COVID-19 pandemic, Gainer transitioned his ECON 101: Introduction to Microeconomics and ECON 102: Introduction to Macroeconomics courses to online delivery. As demand for online classes continued to rise post-pandemic, Gainer and his teaching assistant Kianna Kozak teamed up with the OCE course design team (instructional designer Kaila Simoneau, learning experience developer Sam Walker and project manager Tanya McPherson) to enhance his online offerings.
The design process proved to be more rigorous and engaging than Gainer expected. “It was very intense at times,” he explains. “But it’s a really fun team to work with.”
The team began by creating personas to represent different student audiences: traditional in-person students seeking flexibility, international students who are not yet in Edmonton, mature students balancing work or family, and high school students aiming to get a head start on university studies.
Gainer admits he had to write substantial content and accept honest, direct feedback on his writing. “There was a lot of mutual trust and respect, which is important in creative work. I think that was key to our success.”
The team helped Gainer reimagine teaching and learning, breaking content into small, manageable segments to help students feel less overwhelmed with the material and learn at their own pace and using multimodality to keep them engaged.
Guided by Universal Design for Learning (UDL) principles, theoretical concepts such as gross domestic product, fiscal policy or inflation are taught through practical, real-life examples and techniques that promote active engagement. "The course supports student choice when it comes to how, when, and where they want to learn by bringing together dynamic components like interactive text, video, audio and downloadable resources," says instructional designer Kaila Simoneau.
The courses align with the U of A’s strategic plan, SHAPE, by delivering innovative, flexible learning experiences, and the Integrated Enrolment Growth Plan, which prioritizes access and diversity while maintaining quality, with the overall goal of increasing enrolment to 60,000 by 2033 through scalable program delivery, including online options. It also addresses student feedback for more agency, accessibility and flexibility, as outlined in the Student Experience Action Plan.
Simoneau says that one of the guiding principles in UDL is that, by creating learning experiences that are more accessible for learners with disabilities, it contributes to a more inclusive and accessible learning experience for all learners. By partnering with the Fable accessibility platform, OCE engaged in quality assurance tests and user interviews to ensure they were presenting the maximum overall accessibility across all learning components.
The online course development process also influenced how Gainer teaches his in-person classes. He now brings in more videos, questions and discussions to break up his lectures and engage his students. “The most rewarding thing about teaching is connecting with my students,” says Gainer, who hopes their main takeaway is the confidence and understanding to discuss economic concepts in the real world.
Feedback on the online courses has been extremely positive, so much so that there is a waitlist for ECON 102. “That’s an indication that students really like that format and that style of learning,” says Gainer.
Beyond the U of A, post-secondary institutions and peers have recognized the incredible work that went into creating this course. The Online Learning Consortium — an international group that sets global standards for online, blended and digital learning — awarded Gainer, Simoneau, Walker and McPherson the 2025 Excellence in Design Practice Award for their exceptional work on ECON 102.
“This is a testament to the strong collaboration between the Department of Economics and the Online Learning unit, which brought together their expertise to produce this innovative and quality online course,” adds Jessica Butts Scott, associate vice-president of OCE. “I’m proud that the U of A has been recognized for excellence in online learning. This is the Grammy of online learning awards!"
Asked if he would recommend the process or do it again, Gainer replies, “I definitely would. It’s been the most transformative professional development experience of my teaching career.”