Differences in content and teaching style can lead two instructors to take different approaches to blended course design, said Thomas Cavanagh, associate vice president of distributed learning at the University of Central Florida, in a recent Magna Online Seminar.
“In some courses, it might make sense to have discussions that take place in the online environment [to] ensure that everybody participates. … And then when you come to class, you can have students do group projects.
“In another class, it might make sense to watch videos in the online environment … and then come to class for the discussion,” Cavanagh said.
Cavanagh recommends thinking of a blended course as an online course with face-to-face components rather than a face-to-face course with online components.
This approach can help avoid trying to convert face-to-face elements to online and focus on the taking advantage of each mode “in a way that really expands and enhances the course.”
