- Will changing the course from a traditional lecture to a blended learning experience require more investment in course meeting preparation time for faculty?
- Who will develop content that students will utilize online? Will faculty be developing videos or other media for the course?
- How will accessibility for course materials (videos, audio, recorded presentations, etc) be guaranteed for all students?
- Are there additional instructional design and development resources on campus that can be called upon to provide design and development assistance?
There are many more questions in my mind but these are the first I've thought about, especially since these are some questions that have come up here and there in my time working with our faculty.
I think one of the things that I feel got sort of brushed over is that faculty really have to buy into the blended learning process. Should you consider a cohort program on campus where a group of faculty are working together to learn how to integrate blended learning into their courses where their teams are made up of fellow faculty, instructional designers, and technical experts? Could that help address some of the questions and potential pitfalls they may experience? I realize that I'm at an institution where course redesign is supported by the highest levels of administration and our faculty who participate in the cohort redesign program (IMPACT) do receive a stipend, but that's not the case everywhere.
What also stuck out to me is assessment. There has to be assessment of the course to ensure it's meeting student and faculty needs. This assessment has to be done regularly to ensure the effectiveness of the blended learning experience and to determine if the class may need constant updating and redesign.
I think there's a lot of great ideas in our first reading. I'm ready to learn more.
Hello Brett, It was nice to read your blog. I agree, there are many factors to consider when developing a blended course. Although, I have taught blended courses, it is challenging to balance the online with face to face. Some students felt it can be twice the work. The presence online is more visible than attending a face to face lecture.
ReplyDeleteThis is my first MOOC and the first time a commented on a blog. Best, Roberta
Roberta, I agree - I've heard the sentiment that a blended course can be twice the work on the student side. Then again, in a blended course we could be expecting students to be fully prepared for every class and to be active learners, instead of being passive learners in a lecture hall. More expectations = more work. :)
ReplyDeleteWell said. Have come across this same finding in numerous readings. I've even come across the comment from an online learning student who said "I don't like online learning because it's more work. I actually have to do something with what I learn".
DeleteBrett,
ReplyDeleteI appreciate the candor in your blog regarding blended courses. I am one of those faculty members who wish to enter the world of providing blended learning, but am hesitant due to the perceived amount of time that it may require. What I mean by that is that I hear it will require more time than the traditional face-to-face meeting.
Regards,
Mary
Hi Brett, thanks for sharing. I've just started the first week's reading and I plan to share some thoughts on a blog I've set up just for this experience. I saw your post being shared on twitter and I was inspired to follow suit!
ReplyDeleteI think assessment is important, too. I'm interested in ways to incorporate asynchronous formative assessments that students can use to guide their own learning; data feedback given in a timely fashion for both student and teacher.
ReplyDeleteMy first exposure to blended learning was through an online course about hybrid learning which I took, through Canvas, at Renton Tech in Seattle. Initially, I was overwhelmed by the breadth of material available for it, but eventually, through the good dialogue between people on the course, was introduced to the idea of going out and looking at things like open educational resources and Merlot, which gave a wealth of resources. Faculty don't have to create everything, just go out and find stuff and arrange it for students to prepare prior to face-to-face sessions. When everyone has watched certain videos or followed links to certain articles & etc., class discussion is based on things brought with them, rather than on waiting for the teacher to present and then the students to respond.
ReplyDeleteTo add to your comment
ReplyDelete"I think one of the things that I feel got sort of brushed over is that faculty really have to buy into the blended learning process." ....
... I felt the reading fell short of clearly identifying the benefits of blended learning to get the "buy in" that you speak of.I felt that it could have solicited us to find articles that discuss these benefits. Perhaps they could have been identified through SoTL "impact studies".
I recently started reading on how to implement blended learning in organisation/instutions and one important issue is indeed the 'buy in' of the faculty(member) and the entire organisation.
DeleteA well formulated and documented vision,mission and strategy for the organisation regarding digital and blended learning really support the individuals dealing with it.
I think a big part of getting that 'buy-in' is the way your own organisation approaches blended learning.
In this chapter it is not that much about getting the buy-in as we as an audience already expressed our interest by signing uo for the course. I really hope to see more about how as an organisation you can support faculty-members with their implementation of blended learning
Hi Brett... Excellent post, I do believe the concerns about faculty buy-in are real. Our efforts with Blended/hybrid and fully online courses have almost universally been met with the "it's so much work" cry from instructors and yes, students too.
ReplyDeleteHowever, once completed and implemented, the real and tangible benefits are almost universally recognized. Usually, the thinking is "lots of work, but worth it in the end."
Our team of Instructional designers and technologists are anxious and willing to assist with the prep work and training when requested, and that can be a big help with the preparation.
But, we often find getting instructors to allow us to assist a challenge. One solution, if the institution is willing, might be incentivizing the instructors to modify their courses.
how would you incentivize it ? what would be good ways to encourage blended learning ?
DeleteI think these bullet points are all good questions to ask. The main concern that I would have if I were designing a blended learning class is availability of the videos and other relevant material needed for learning. In today's age, most kids have access to the internet. Should we, however, assume that every last student does? What about a less fortunate few that may be without the internet? Do we sometimes get so caught up in "the greater good" that we loose sight of what is best for individual learners? I look forward to having this question answered for me as I learn more. Great questions to ask in this blog and great thoughts.
ReplyDeleteavailability is not the problem where I work in Taiwan, it is the professed ignorance of any students to "how to get that". I've learned a couple of times that my way of using online resources has run up against a few adult students' inability to use the internet. Perhaps they are just making excuses or even telling outright lies. But it is very likely that they haven't stretched themselves. Usually when that happens in a class, I ask if anyone could give us all a hint, and when someone does, I say to her, "OK, you teach him how to do it." or, just as likely, "OK, you teach her how to do it."
ReplyDeleteGreat points and it seems like a lot of the trepidation is very familiar. It seems like any time that we have new technology or ideas, we come across the same concerns. Accessibility is a huge concern and to do it properly, it takes time to modify the content. Not only time but locating the resources to accomplish the accessibility.
ReplyDeleteI work in the instructional design department and I'm always chomping at the bit to assist faculty in developing their courses. Some take advantage of it but unfortunately, we have too many people that don't take the opportunity to utilize us.