The present study offers an in-depth exploration of students' experiences in an online learning environment developed in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Specifically, the study entailed the creation of a comprehensive online English Writing course tailored for 20 undergraduate students at a Turkish state university that transitioned to fully or partially online education formats since March 2020. Emphasizing meticulous attention to crucial factors such as academic knowledge, technology skills, cultural values, and socioeconomic status, the design process encompasses both micro-level and macro-level perspectives.
Through a carefully sequenced progression of eight learning steps, the study probed into various dimensions including learning needs, autonomy, content knowledge, learning awareness, and self-assessment and self-reflection skills. Drawing upon data gathered from surveys and student writings, the findings demonstrated that this emergent learning design process effectively facilitated and enhanced students' writing skills through scaffolding implemented at each relevant step. Furthermore, the findings underscored the significance of adopting a responsive design approach and incorporating diverse forms of interaction in online learning environments.
The study concludes by providing an illustrative diagram outlining a responsive approach, comprising four key stages: pre-design, implementation, evaluation, and redesign considerations. Additionally, it imparts pedagogical implications derived from activities that foster interaction among students, their instructor, and the learning context.

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Abstract Summary
This study delves into students' experiences in an online learning environment developed in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. An online English Writing course was tailored for 20 Turkish undergraduate students, covering micro-level and macro-level perspectives. The investigation explored dimensions such as learning needs, autonomy, content knowledge, learning awareness, and self-assessment skills. Data from surveys and student writings demonstrated that this emergent learning design effectively enhanced writing skills through scaffolded support. The findings emphasized the importance of adopting a responsive design approach and diverse interaction in online learning. The study presented a diagram outlining the four key stages of the responsive approach: pre-design, implementation, evaluation, and redesign. It also discussed pedagogical implications derived from activities fostering interaction among students, instructors, and the learning context. Overall, this research contributes valuable insights for optimizing online learning experiences in crisis situations.

Authors:
Serpil Meri-Yilan, Agri Ibrahim Cecen University, Turkey

About the Presenter(s)
Dr. Serpil Meri-Yilan is an assistant professor at AICU, Turkey, holding her Ph.D. from the University of Southampton. Her interests include e-learning, learner autonomy, motivation, digital storytelling, humanization of ELT, and social inclusion.

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