Designing your blended course

Richard Walker E-Learning Development Team

University of York

Design Pathway & Planning Tools

Session Outline

Design principles

- Defining course objectives

Planning pathway

- World Politics exemplar

Planning tools

- Walk-through of planning pathway

- Tools & guidance Summary of key steps

Blended Learning is not an ‘add-on’ to an existing teaching approach

It involves a “fundamental reconceptualisation & reorganization of the teaching and learning dynamic”

It is about “rethinking and redesigning the teaching & learning relationship”(Garrison & Kanuka, 2004)

Principles for BL course design

Reflection point 1: objectives for your course

For an existing course: How has the course worked to date?

Strengths & weaknesses of the current design?

Opportunities to ‘design in’ student activity

For an existing or new course: How might the introduction of online activity address

student learning and engagement with the targeted learning outcomes?

What are the implications for the way that the course is designed and delivered (i.e. impact on teaching & learning relationship)?

Blending Illustration: World Politics (2006) #1

Problems identified in a previous first year programme based on lectures and tutorials:

“Too many students did the minimum of reading, and tutorial discussions could then become based too much on opinion rather than informed by reading and empirical cases.

In the case of some students this could then set a pattern of low expectations of the amount and level of work expected of them.”

Blending Illustration: World Politics (2006) #2

ONLINE

Objectives: Encourage students to

explore politics through diverse cases

Promote independent research skills & collaborative learning

Activities: Individual reading of

primary electronic sources

Group research Collaborative writing of

case reports

CLASS-BASED

Objectives: Provide students with

theoretical approaches to understanding political issues

Engage students in evidence-based seminar discussion & debate

Activities: Weekly lectures 8 weekly seminars

Role of Online Tools

Targeted learning behaviour

Function Tool

Reference & revision Make available instructions, study guidance assignment shedule & updates

Course outlineAnnouncements

Sharing research & interacting on group writing task

Enable ready sharing of research and writing of group reports

Work group file exchange

Knowledge sharing to inform seminar discussion

Enable exchange & reading of case reports prior to seminars

Seminar group file exchange

Discovery learning Review of case study resources with links to a range of e-journals and websites

Electronic case resources

Benchmarking own work Making available examples of work nominated by tutors

Good reports

Develop awareness of plagiarism avoidance

Submitting work for plagiarism detection & discussing report

QuizzesSafe Assignment

Structure of the Course

Course Week Activity Method (online /class-based)

Week 1 Induction – intro to VLE, review of netiquette, entry survey

PC classroom

Week 2 Introduction – lecture on approach- seminar discussion- completion of referencing & plagiarism quizzes

Plenary lectureClass-basedOnline

Weeks 2/3 Group research & report writingUpload to seminar work space

OnlineOnline

Week 3 States lectureSeminar discussion on group reports

Plenary lectureClass-based

Weeks 3/4 Group research & report writingUpload to seminar work space

OnlineOnline

Structure of the Course Cont.

Course Week Activity Method (online /class-based)

Week 4 Governance lectureSeminar discussion on group reports

Plenary lectureClass-based

Weeks 4/5 Group research & report writingUpload to seminar work space

OnlineOnline

Week 5 Women & Development lectureSeminar discussion on group reports

Plenary lectureClass-based

Weeks 5/6 Group research & report writingUpload to seminar work space

OnlineOnline

Week 6 Causes of Armed Conflict lectureSeminar discussion on group reports

Plenary lectureClass-based

etc.

Reflection point 2

1. The rationale and drivers for a blended design how the course will be ‘sold’ to students?

suitability of the design to learner profile (competencies/aptitude/established learning culture)

2. The coherence of the blended design the ‘join’ between the face-to-face and online

learning activities and their relationship to the overall course objectives, including targeted learning outcomes & assessment plan

How would you approach the design of your blended course?Things to think about:

Learning, activity & tools framework – Part 1

Blended Learning Model

Targeted Learning Behaviour

Group / Individual Activity Output Tool

VLE Supplemented

Review of course notes and resources

Individual

or

Individual reflection on course concepts or space to raise queries (individual learning log)

Summary notes / questions

Blog

Group Share problems / discuss solutions

Peer support Forum

VLE Supplemented

Self-assessment

Individual Completion of short tests (open / closed questions)

Score / feedback & links to supporting materials

Assessment engine

VLE Content Dependent

Knowledge acquisition

Individual Self-paced learning activities – interactive tutorials and assessment activities with feedback

Guided walk-through of topicSummary of key points (concept map)

Learning units & assessment engine

VLE Assessment

Presentation of individual reports

Individual Completion of report template or portfolioSubmission of report

Completion of summative assessment activity

Blog, Wiki, File submission

Learning, activity & tools framework – Part 2

Blended Learning Model

Targeted Learning Behaviour

Group / Individual Activity Output Tool

VLE Communication

Sharing ideas / interaction on group research

Group Discussion / commentsExchanging resources (files & data sets)Decisions / conclusion

ReportsPresentations

ForumBlog

VLE Communication

Reflective summary

Individual or Group

Critique of research paper or key text (in preparation for seminar)End of unit report

Reflection on key lessons learned

BlogWiki

VLE Communication

Knowledge sharing

Group Extended discussion on theory – building on classReflections on work-based practice

Reflective contributions to shared discussion space

Blog WikiForum

VLE Collaboration

Shared summaries of research papers

Group Collaborative writing of topic summaries, referencing key papers / texts

Digestible summaries of complex themes (revision aid)

Wiki

Refining your plan

Define roles of instructor, tutors& students

Identify responsibilities for each role– Key actions & delivery phases

Highlight timing for release of resources– supporting & sustaining learning

Interventions– support, feedback & assessment

Recommended reading

Allan, B. (2007) Blended Learning: Tools for Teaching and Training. London. Facet Publishing, ISBN 978-1-85604-614-5

Garrison, D. R. & Kanuka, H. (2004). Blended Learning: Uncovering its Transformative Potential in Higher Education. The Internet and Higher Education, 7(2), 95-105.

Littlejohn, A.H. & Pegler, C. (2007) Planning for blended learning. Routledge, London ISBN 978-0-415-40361-0

Salmon, G. (2002) E-tivities. London. Kogan Page.