Veronica Diaz, PhDMaricopa Center for Learning and

Instruction

Jennifer Strickland, PhDParadise Valley Community College

sponsored by the maricopa center for learning and instruction

Your facilitators, at your service

Ice Breaker

January 25, February 1, 8, 15 @ Phoenix College FPG: 13 hours (for entire learnshop) 13 hours face-to-face/2 hours online Blackboard Site:

• http://dst.blackboard.maricopa.edu/ • At Blended.by.Design

Wiki: http://ablendedmaricopa.pbwiki.com/

Evaluations: weekly on Blackboard Assessment for FPG: end of program on

Blackboard

Have a course to use in the learnshop

A word about resources Our objectives

• To define blended learning • To differentiate blended from other online

delivery formats • To be able to review a blended course and

evaluate its strengths and weaknesses

What are yours?

So many definitions, so little time…

Blended

What is Sloan-C?

Blended learning courses combine online and classroom learning activities and resources in an optimal way to improve student learning outcomes and to address important institutional issues.

Classroom attendance (“seat time”) is reduced.

Proportion of Content Delivered Online

Type of Course

Typical Description

0% Traditional Course with no online technology used — content is delivered in writing or orally.

1 to 29% Web Facilitated Course which uses web-based technology to facilitate what is essentially a face-to-face course. Uses a course management system (CMS) or web pages to post the syllabus and assignments, for example.

30 to 79% Blended/Hybrid Course that blends online and face-to-face delivery. Substantial proportion of the content is delivered online, typically uses online discussions, and typically has some face-to-face meetings.

80+% Online A course where most or all of the content is delivered online. Typically have no face-to-face meetings.

What you call it is not important, but establishing a defined and consistent model is

Blended learning as an optimized pedagogical approach, rather than an arbitrary time division between online and F2F

A safe way to explore online learning

A way to meet Net Gen student expectations◦ Attractive alternative to F2F instruction

◦ A good match for the Net Gen’s visual, exploratory, participative learning preferences

Usually more work (at least at the beginning), but likely worth it in terms of improved student engagement and achievement

The best of both worlds

What is your ideal “blend? (face-to-face and online)”

What is your motivation for creating a blended course?

Source: Blending In, March 2007

Students consistently report that the increased flexibility and convenience of online courses facilitates their access to educational opportunities

Women participate and succeed in online courses at a higher rate than men

Faculty members report more and better interaction in online courses than in F2F courses

48.9%+ (26,971) of all UCF students took at least 1 fully online or blended course

Consistently high satisfaction levels with online courses

Allows for solutions to course problems and to incorporate new types of interactive and independent learning activities.

Variety of online and in-class teaching strategies

Benefits… Increased connectedness with

students

Communicate online and face-to-face

Potential to increase and extend instructor-student and student-student connectivity

Discussions started in class may be continued online

Integration of out-of- and in-class activities allows more effective use of traditional class time

Students who rarely take part in class discussions are more likely to participate online

Learn more in blended format Write better papers Performed better on exams Produced higher quality

projects Were capable of more

meaningful discussions on course material

Are better able to master concepts and apply what they have learned

Develop higher-order skills of critical thinking, problem-solving, and the ability to apply theoretical models to real-world data

Blended learning may…◦Lead to using more participatory and student-centered learning activities

◦Transform the teacher-student relationship to be more centered on student learning

◦Transform the instructor role to be more facilitative and learner-centered

Faculty members report that… Course management systems have

increased their pedagogic efficiency because of its ability to organize the course

All discussion threads, course documents, announcements, and grades are easy to find and reference

It's easier to document online group work and participation for purposes of assessment

To develop a successful blended course instructors must ◦ Re-examine course goals and

objectives,

◦ Design online learning activities to meet these goals and objectives,

◦ Effectively integrate the online activities with the face-to face meetings, and

◦ Make transition from lectures and presentations to a more student-centered active learning environment

Facilitating online discussions and small group activities

Developing new forms of student assessment

Scheduling and communication challenges as courses meet online and face-to-face

Work overload for faculty and students

Students need to understand their active role in the learning environment

Fundamental change in teaching and learning

Not just about the “delivery”

Time to redesignChanges in campus

policiesOver-reliance on

technology“Course and a half”

syndromeTraining and support

Blended Course Redesign Samples• Maricopa Blackboard

Browse 2 courses and complete the Blended Course Model Evaluation Worksheet

Evaluation on SurveyMonkey

Read through the 10 Blended Questions to Consider

Complete the Initial Course Redesign Ideas discussion

Complete the Primary Needs and Concerns discussion