Department of Conflict Resolution Studies Theses and Dissertations

Date of Award

2019

Document Type

Dissertation

Degree Name

Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)

Department

College of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences – Department of Conflict Resolution Studies

First Advisor

Dustin D. Berna

Second Advisor

Neil Katz

Third Advisor

Judith McKay

Keywords

conflict, course development process, lived experience, online higher education, peace studies, subject matter expert

Abstract

This qualitative study, using phenomenology, examined the lived experiences of subject matter experts navigating conflict in the higher education online course development process. Examination of conflict from the perspective of the subject matter expert in this context was important because of impacts on subject matter experts, design and development team members, course quality, instructors, students, and institutions. Research questions that guided the study were: What were the potential sources of conflict encountered by the subject matter expert throughout the course development process? What did the conflict mean to the subject matter expert in the course development process? How did the subject matter expert manage conflict in the course development process? What implications did the conflict have, if any, on the course development product generated by the subject matter expert? What implications did the conflict have, if any, on the relationships with others involved in the course development process? What adjustments, if any, did the subject matter expert make as a result of the conflict? How did those adjustments impact the final course product and relationship dynamics? Theories integrated to illuminate participant experiences included collaborative theory, design theory, dual concerns theory, learning theory, and systems design theory. Data analysis was conducted using the transcendental model. The findings provided insight into how subject matter experts identified, avoided, mitigated, and managed conflict experienced in the online course development process that had the potential to impact direct and indirect stakeholders.

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