Blended Learning

1. Blended Learning Session 1: Introduction Chris Fowler 16/3/2011

2. Before we start……. • How many of you have taught online or blended learning courses? • What problems or issues, if any, did you encounter? • What benefits, if any, resulted? • What were the costs, if any (time etc)? • Did the students like it? Not like it? How do you know? • Any impact (+ or - ) on academic performance? How do you know? • Did you have a choice on what technology to use? • How many of you have undertaken training on MyElearning?

3. Overall Training Outcomes & Objectives • To enable the creation of innovative, valid and valued blended learning courses by: • understanding the BL concept (S1) • Identifying requirements elicited from user roles (S2) • identifying learning activities suitable for the BL approach (S3) • identifying technical components that can be used to support the learning activities (S4) • Mapping learning activities onto appropriate technical components (S4,5 & 6) • By the end of the training you should have the K & S to specify, implement and run an appropriate Blended Learning course ie be a competent BL practitioner.

4. Session 1 Objectives • To arrive at an agreed definition and common understanding of what we mean by Blended Learning. • To appreciate the influences and constraints on making blended learning decisions. • To gain an overall understanding of how to design a blended learning course.

5. But….. • You will not become or need to become Educational Technology experts (but you will become a more critical consumer of Educational Technology) • Technology is only as good as the pedagogy – don’t be seduced by the latest gadget! • Learning is learning regardless of whether its mediated through technology (there is no such thing as elearning or even blended learning there’s just learning!).

6. The Schedule

7. Structural Overview Session 1: Overview of the training and understanding Blended Learning (the what, why, how and when). Session 2 : User Role Analysis: Deriving Learning Management Requirements & Introduction to Session 3 Session 3: Learning Activities Analysis: Deriving Pedagogical requirements . Session 4: Using MyElearning’s Functionality Session 5 & 6: Using conference tools’ Functionality

8. Inputs & Outputs • Input is the Course Description (Traditional) • Output is the ID Specification (Blended) • The training will hopefully describe a process for transforming your current course (Course description) into a blended course (ID specification)

9. Blended Learning Definitions • Brainstorm some definitions

10. Blended Learning Definition (1) • Blended Learning refers to a mixing of different learning environments. Blended learning gives learners and teachers a potential environment to learn and teach more effectively.

11. Learning Environments CLASSROOM (f2f) ONLINE OTHER

12. Blended Learning Definition (2) • An educational formation that integrates elearning activities including online delivery of materials through web pages, discussion boards and/or email with traditional teaching methods including lectures, in-person discussions, seminars, or tutorials.

13. Mayes’ Learning Stages Delivery technologies.... Audio Streaming Video Streaming HTML pages Lectures,Text books TV, Radio, CDs Conceptualisation Laboratories, seminars, field work, workshops, practicals Construction Java, Shockwave Remote sensors Whiteboards Conferencing ( audio, video, text) Tutorials, informal chats, Dialogue

14. The Learning Activities

15. Blended Learning Definition (3) • involves a combination of traditional classroom-based learning and remote Distance Learning formats. In a blended course, students are usually required to attend some classes on campus while completing other technology-based work remotely.

16. Blended Learning Continuum

17. Web-based Learning activities VOLUNTARY MANDATORY Weak BLENDED Strong

18. Understanding the mix: Levels of Granularity • Institutional • Some programmes completely online others completely traditional = Blended? • Programmes • Some courses completely online others completely traditional = Blended? • Course • Some sessions completely online others completely traditional = Blended?

19. Blended Learning Definitions • The phrase has many specific meanings based upon the context in which it is used. • In our context definition 3 is preferred: Blended Learning involves a combination of traditional classroom-based learning and remote Distance Learning formats. In a blended course, students are usually required to attend some classes on campus while completing other technology-based work remotely.

20. Why Blend? • Brainstorm

21. Why Blend? • More effective learning? • More flexible (time & place) learning? • More cost effective use of resources? • Students prefer it?

22. But…… • Technology constraints (everybody has to have some technology and know how to use it)’ • Computer Security constraints (firewalls etc) • Pedagogical constraints (not understanding how to use the technology effectively) • Institutional constraints (lack of data; lack of commitment; lack of policies; lack of know-how) • Time & resource constraints (any transformation takes time, money and effort)

23. How? Making the right decisions. • Brainstorm – • what do we need to consider in making the decision to adopt a blended learning approach? • How do we decide which components of our course should go online?

24. How? Making the right decisions.

25. Web-based The Learning Activities

26. When – timings? • All M.Ed courses & the Dip .Ed (Tobago) course must have a BL component by the next academic year. • Weak or Strong? • Competence level (teachers and learners) • Available time (to implement the design) • Available technologies (Myelearning is the only guaranteed option) • Design for a ‘strong’ blend but create a ‘phase release plan’ (i.e. prioritize).

27. Key Messages • Requirements are independent of solutions • Innovate don’t emulate. • Technology is the easy part – the human factors (e.g. motivation, learning, management of change) are the difficult part. • No technology without pedagogy – no pedagogy without technology. • Sometimes learner, sometimes teacher – your role will change.

28. ....now that we have finished • How many of you now understand what we mean by Blended Learning? • Do you have an appreciation of the costs and benefits of ‘going blended’? • Do you have an appreciation of how to design a blended learning course? • Are you hungry?

29. The Next Session

30. Acknowledgements • Thanks to the Blended Learning Strategy group: • Margaret Cain • Madgerie Jameson • Sandra Figaro-Henry • Debra Ferdinand And to John Gedeon (Planning & Development) And thank you for participating!