Blended design provides the synergistic combination of online and face-to-face (F2F) teaching. As educational technology continues to improve the possibilities for blended course design multiply.
Blended design can integrate all three times that the learner engages with the material: before, during, and after class. The flexibility of blended courses allows teachers to imaginatively redesign almost any course to best fit the needs of the learners and the increased flexibility for learners provides more accessibility to higher education. And if, when a course is redesigned, the focus remains on enhanced learning then student learning should increase: students will be able to more effectively monitor their own progress toward established learning outcomes. The notion that a teacher explains a concept to a student then sends the student away to study the explanation has never been pedagogically effective and with the increase of technology in and out of the classroom such an approach can no longer be justified
The outline below offers guidelines on organizing your blended course:
Choose a Format
- Daily: most detailed, most restrictive
- Weekly: still detailed but a bit less restrictive
- Topical: provides some flexibility but risks confusing student
Create Learning Goals
- Use active verbs
- The LG should be able to help you asses learning (#3 below)
- The more specific the language the more effective the goal
Divide the Content
- Create Opportunities for Students to Learn Before Class Starts
- Utilize on-line resources for lower-level learning
- If you grade use low-stakes grading
- Create Opportunities for Students to Learn During Class
- Utilize face-to-face time for higher order thinking
- Face-to-face is effective for high stakes grading
- Think about creating collaborative activities
- Create Opportunities for Students to Learn After Class Ends
- Utilize on-line resources for rehearsal and higher-order thinking
- Consider on-line collaborative activities
- Grading can be midway between low- and high-stakes
Assess Student Learning
- Consider the activities designed for #2 and decide how best to allocate points
- remember that not everything needs to be graded
Ideas about Learning
All three lists from excellent pedagogical scholars were written to improve learning without focusing on technology. As you carefully read each list consider how technology used in a blended course can help with each suggestion.
How Learning Works (Ambrose, Bridges, DiPietro, Lovett, and Norman)
- Students’ Prior Knowledge Affects Learning
- Organization of Knowledge is Critical
- Motivation Should be Attended To
- Pedagogy Requires Developing Mastery in Students
- Deliberate Practice Improves Learning
- Course Climate Matters to Learning
- Students Learn When They Become Self-Directed
Learner-Centered Teaching (Weimer)
- The Balance of Power
- The Function of Content
- The Role of the Teacher
- The Responsibility for Learning
- The Purpose and Processes of Evaluation
Seven Principles for Good Practice in Undergraduate Education (Chickering & Gamson)
- Encourages Contacts Between Students and Faculty
- Develops Reciprocity and Cooperation Among Students
- Uses Active Learning Techniques
- Gives Prompt Feedback
- Emphasizes Time on Task
- Communicates High Expectations
- Respects Diverse Talents and Ways of Learning
Adapted from the Magna Online Seminar presentation, 10 Ways to Improve Blended Learning Course Design, 2014.
