Blended learning and pragmatism
Blended learning is often adopted for practical reasons associated with institutional constraints. We were able to identify three teaching and learning contexts in which blended learning was introduced. This section illustrates these three contexts and the pragmatic concerns of course designers in adopting blended learning. You will find more case studies which relate to
blended learning and pedagogy, where elements of the blend were used to support learning in different ways.
Here is a selection of the case studies we have already:
- Courses for campus-based students
- Strathclyde Univ, UK
- Ghent Univ, Belgium
- Univ Greenwich, UK
- Middlesex Univ, UK
- Courses exclusively for distance students
- Bergen Univ College, Norway
- Univ Crete, Greece
- Suffolk College, UK
- Courses for campus-based as well as distance students
- Griffeth Univ, Australia
- Univ Highlands & Islands Millennium Institute, UK
- Univ Lulea, Sweden
- Southern Cross Univ, Australia
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Your contributions
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Courses for campus-based students
Strathclyde Univ, UK
Ghent Univ, Belgium
Univ Greenwich, UK
Middlesex Univ, UK
3rd year Manufacturing Operations Management. The class runs with half the formal contact time than originally. This formal contact time is for structuring and addressing key concepts. The students use a commercial CD pack for their main studies, as well as complementary online interactive web materials to address the areas that the CDs don’t address. Overall contact time remains the same as there are workshop/lab based sessions to support the students in individual or group setting as they carry out their learning in an independent and flexible manner. The students carry out an international team project with half the group from Strathclyde and half from Iowa State in US. The assignment draws heavily on the experience and technology of the DIDET project (used for the team design project). Students use LLE [Laulima Learning Environment] to communicate, share data, manage the project and use the (Iowa State) Engineering Learning Portal (ELP) to retrieve the assignment and submit their solution. Students work collaboratively and asynchronously with face-to-face and email support from the US and UK tutors (4, Strathclyde Univ, UK)
Since 1999-2000, the traditional face-to-face approach of the course ‘instructional science’ was redesigned in response to recent concerns with regard to the traditional face-to-face approach of education at Ghent University. Due to the growing number of students, it was questioned how qualitative education could be guaranteed in an active way and educational support could be provided to a large number of first year students.The introduction of a blended learning environment, combining face-to-face sessions and asynchronous discussion groups was seen as a way out. Basic aims of the redesign were: fostering ‘active learning’, giving students continuous support, fostering the ‘application’ of declarative and procedural knowledge, and developing self-evaluation skills of students.
The redesign involved three subsequent phases. First, the approach focused on the blending of asynchronous discussion groups and face-to-face sessions. Since collaboration scripts are considered as powerful means to improve processes and outcomes of collaborative learning, in a next phase roles were introduced as a scripting tool to optimise the learning environment. The third phase focused on introducing cross-age tutors in asynchronous discussion groups to support the freshmen’s discourse ... Students work together by applying the theoretical concepts of the course to solve problems, presented in the online environment. In line with the constructivist principles, the problems are based on real-life authentic situations. (12, Ghent Univ, Belgium)
For the blended courses the students attended the university for the first four weeks of a 12 week course, it was made clear to them from the beginning that the website was theirs, that we would be working in a paperless classroom and that I would be teaching from the website, which had all the documentation such as course handbooks that we would normally print and copy for them, plus lecture notes etc. The students were all given the opportunity to log onto the site and use the interactive learning materials under my guidance. I explained that for four weeks of the course they would not be expected to attend the university but could work from home, if they had a computer, all did, or from the university’s computer labs. For the weeks at home there would be computer based interactive activities plus a discussion forum. Students were initially nervous about the whole idea but came to enjoy the experience and the course was very well evaluated with students saying they felt more confident about the technology and would like to use this form of learning again and quite possibly take the wholly computer based versions of the course. (22, Univ Greenwich, UK)
The blended strategy became the only option due to the complexity of the module taught. Initially it was the pure distance between my resources. The module is run in two campuses located in Hendon and Trent Park, both in North London with a good 30-45 minutes driving between depending on traffic. Lectures labs and seminars would take place for different groups of students based on the different campuses. Furthermore, next semester a remote Hong Kong campus will be teaching this particular module based on my guidelines through the VLE.
There are two lectures, 8 seminars and 8 lab sessions running each week. Each student has to attend one lecture and a seminar or lab depending on week of study. There are two academics acting as seminar tutors who I meet every week to decide on schedule and content.
Obviously the module's logistics are a nightmare. The amount of queries, clarifications and questions is enormous. The need to be consistent in all sessions, considering that overall three academics are involved is also a drawback. Deadlines and submissions can be a pain and there was the question of ensuring that weekly tasks and the overall group project could be submitted, checked and provided with feedback on equal terms. (9, Middlesex Univ, UK)
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Courses exclusively for distance students
Bergen Univ College, Norway
Univ Crete, Greece
Suffolk College, UK
Together with four other teachers I received funding from the Norwegian authorities to develop a quite new course for physical therapists, based on learning on demand. The course is called Medical Exercise Therapy. It is a part- time further education program of 15 ECT (European credits) given over five months. Our target group was physiotherapists working at departments of rehabilitation or private training institutes with training equipment. To meet their need we set up a program with assignments that required collaboration and sharing of experience from their clinical practice. The teaching strategy was to bring practitioners from all over Scandinavia together in a virtual learning community, to discuss how they examine patients, plan treatment and evaluate outcomes. They were given some resources (articles) when they participated at a physical meeting in Bergen ... The first time we tried out this model of teaching (spring 2003), we intended to run [online] synchronous meetings each week with tutorial support. We soon experienced that this was not possible to organise, since the students could not be logged on at regular intervals. We abandoned this strategy and found it sufficient to give our feedback at convenient occasions asynchronous. (1, Bergen Univ College, Norway)
Two of the most significant problems in the training of emigrant teachers, is their extended geographic dispersal and the lack of a system of life long learning, which would provide support to teachers in the countries in which they live. The whole project «PAIDEIA OMOGENWN» (http://ediamme.edc.uoc.gr/diaspora/) aims to continue, develop and promote Greek language and culture, to primary and secondary students of Greek origin, who live and study abroad, as well as non-Greek speaking students who want to learn the Greek language and become participants of the Greek culture.
Based on the suggested methodology, Greek teachers abroad were separated in target groups, depending on their ability to make use of computers and the internet. ... The third group comprises teachers who both possess basic ICT skills and have access to the Internet.
Our effort concerns the implementation of a complete web-based learning environment, focusing on the third group and particularly on countries such as the USA, Canada and Australia. The proposed instructional model suggests the functional combination ... of educational technologies of synchronous (videoconferences) and asynchronous learning (web based learning platform) .... in order to provide an interactive learning environment for Greek teachers in the countries they live in. (2, Univ Crete, Greece)
The three online courses featured from the CREATE portfolio ... are currently delivered through the Suffolk Institute of Technology ... These courses involve no physical contact between tutors and students and the ‘blend’ is between pure e- learning delivery and verbal contact and support. Learning is supported by a Virtual Learning Environment (WebCT) and learners receive academic and pastoral support from subject tutors and personal tutors respectively via telephone. Technical assistance is also available via the same medium.
Students on these courses are geographically dispersed throughout the UK ... (19-21, Suffolk College, UK)
Courses for campus-based as well as distance students
Griffeth Univ, Australia
Univ Highlands & Islands Millennium Institute, UK
Univ Lulea, Sweden
Southern Cross Univ, Australia
Over the last decade, and in line with Griffith University policy, academics within the AVE [Adult and Vocational Education] area: 1. moved towards offering a reduced suite of core courses from which all of the programs draw. 2. moved to offer all programs in a ‘flexible’ mode making the area unique within Griffith.
The move to flexible delivery has taken place during a time when significant changes in demographics and patterns of study have occurred within our student cohort. A decade ago our student cohort comprised a significant full- time, on-campus group as a result of an employer supported teacher education programme. They were taught face-to-face, on-campus in a lock-step mode. The demise of that employer support, together with changes in the Vocational Education & Training (VET) environment, has seen our cohort becoming increasingly diverse, with many students having to juggle work and family commitments alongside study. The AVE concept of ‘flexible’ refers to both delivery and mode. Students may attend on-campus tutorials, tele-tutorials or study at a distance, that is in face-to-face, print, and on-line modes. (40, Griffeth Univ, Australia)
A blended learning approach was adopted following some serious discussions as how to best support and facilitate student learning for what is likely to be a geographically diverse cohort. We were also very aware, from discussions with our industry partners and from our own market research that we needed to accommodate full- and part-time students as well as those wishing to undertake individual modules for CPD. This potential mix of students and geographical locations ruled out the use of tried and tested networked learning technologies such as video conferencing. All our modules will have between 12 and 15 lectures digitally recorded and merged with a lecture PowerPoint to be delivered via CD- ROM to each of the students prior to the start of the module in question. These programmes are delivered for use with an internet browser which makes it very accessible as there is no expensive software required.
These CD-ROM lectures will be complemented by paper packs and/or electronic materials developed for use within a Virtual Learning Environment. Students will also be expected to contribute to online discussion and chat-rooms on a regular basis. We are currently exploring the use of software solutions such as MS Netmeeting or Marratech for supporting live online discussions using webcams etc. ( 5, Univ Highlands & Islands Millennium Institute, UK)
We have a small scale approach to distant courses. The distant students of the university are spread in a big (rural) area. They wish both f2f and realtime (synchronous) meetings via some chosen technical tool, such as videoconference in studio or computer based videoconference - more than realtime chat functions. Synchronous meetings for teaching, discussions, presentations, seminars, etc. are regular in the distant courses. There is a development of offering net-based courses for both campus students and distant students in the same courses. Using flexible, blended, net-based (or DE) comes naturally, as long as we are flexible about the technology, which is only the tool for teaching and learning at a distance. (44, Univ Lulea, Sweden)
* The course is about the use of technology in education. Students learn by
first-hand involvement.
* Flexibility for students - many work or live at a distance
* Catering for both internal and external enrolments including students
overseas.
* Provides choices for them in the way they want to be supported - can
choose to have support through weekly lab sessions OR e-mail/phone contact
-- encouraging them to take responsibility for their own strategies.
* Students are at vastly different levels in terms of their own skills. Putting all students together in the same learning environment considered inappropriate. -- students are responsible for setting their own goals and choose their own pathway through the content, and are encouraged to draw on all sorts of learning supports and contexts. This flexibility is all part of the approach.
(32, Southern Cross Univ, Australia)
Kath MacDonald: Lecturer in Nursing
Queen Margaret University
Edinburgh
Scotland
Queen Margaret University (QMU) offers degree courses to nurses and professions allied to health care. Biggs (2003) suggests that the nature of students is changing and our establishment reflects this change, with a growing number of part-time “non traditional students” as well as a greater number of more mature students. Learning provision today and in the future needs to consider this group (Carnwell 2000, HEFCE 2004), and in response to the agenda for Lifelong learning and social inclusion; (HEFCE 2004) The Higher Education Certificate in Care was offered at QMU. in 2003 . Initially this course ran part time with 12 face to face modules over 2 years. It became apparent however that we needed more flexibility as many of the students worked shifts, and lived in excess of 30 miles from the University making attendance difficult. As a result several of the modules were then converted to a blended learning format in 2005. This case study highlights the student and lecturer experiences of a 20 credit level one module "Understanding Persistent and Chronic Illnesss".
Description
Students taking this module are generally working at Health Care Assistant level, although some may be managers in care homes. Many of the students are mature learners and this is their first experience of education since leaving school. More than 50% of students had no IT skills on entering the course (although this is changing).
Thirteen students enrolled on the online module. They were given a module handbook, a guide to distance learning, course reader and instructions regarding course pre requisites (basic level of IT skills, PC specifications) in advance of starting the module. An initial face to face session revealed many anxieties from the students (and subsequently the lecturer!) regarding their lack of IT skills and access to computers. The face to face session instructed students how to navigate the VLE and gave some simple exercises to practice then and afterwards. Salmon's (2002 ) 5 stage model was adopted as a theoretical framework with stage 2; online socialisation being particularly important in this group of novice IT students.
Thereafter students were given monthly instructions to follow online, which included accessing course material (online videos, websites, narrated power points, word documents),using discussion boards, and culminating in the group presentation of a piece of work based on that month’s theme. Formative feedback was given to each group before progressing to the next month’s work. Groups were changed two monthly. An optional face to face session was offered midway through the module, which was used to iron out any technical problems and feedback on the formative before they would progress to the summative assessment in three months time: ( formulation of a poster on one chronic illness and a reflective account of the proccesses involved in contructing the poster).
Feelings
I was anxious about students’ ability to cope with the technology. Students were also highly anxious about the change; expressing views about the value of face to face discussion which they felt would be lost in the new format. The face to face session at the outset of the course confirmed my worse feelings that students would struggle with the technology.
Evaluation and Analysis
How wrong I was! How arrogant of me to assume that my students wouldn’t cope!
I have been thrilled and surprised by the level of work produced and the progression in academic writing, IT Skills and self confidence. Commitment and support has been high in this cohort as demonstrated by the online discussions and this has facilitated their continued improvement. Feedback from the students has been very positive in terms of the module content, the lecturer feedback, and their development of IT skills. Most are now using the internet and e-mail on a regular basis.
Delivery of online modules requires as much lecturer input as face to face delivery. Formative feedback is essential throughout the module. The lecturer’s role is facilitative rather than directive, and extra support needs to be offered at the outset of the module, especially for those students who are not confident in IT.
Conclusion
Online learning can be a valuable teaching learning and assessment medium with health and social care workers.
References
Biggs J Biggs J (2003) Teaching for quality learning at university Second edition Open University Press Berkshire
Carn Carnwell R (2000). Pedagogical implications of approaches to study in distance learning: developing models through qualitative and quantitative analysis. Journal of Advanced Nursing 31 (5), 1018-1028
Salmon G (2002) E-tivites: the key to active online learning, pp 116-128. London: Kogan Page
HEFCE (2004) Widening Participation and fair access research strategy HEFCE . Available @ http://www.hefce.ac.uk/pubs/hefce/2004/04_34/04_34.doc Accessed 20/02/06
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