Blended Learning 101
Timothy Brannan, Ph.D.Instructional Technology Services, Inc.
Professor, Central Michigan University
(517) 214-1880
Blended Learning:
Need I be afraid?
What is Blended Learning?
A blended learning approach combines face-to-face classroom methods with computer-mediated activities to form an integrated instructional approach. In the past, digital materials have served in a supplementary role, helping to support face-to-face instruction.For example, a blended approach to a traditional, face-to-face course might mean that a class meets once per week instead of the usual three-session format. Learning activities that otherwise would have taken place during classroom time can be moved online. Student centered.
What Blended Learning is not…
A blend is not achieved simply because you are using many delivery methods for your content.
Rather, a blend is using the best delivery methodologies available for a specific objective, including online, classroom-based instruction, performance support, and self-study.
Why Blended Learning?
The goal of a blended approach is to join the best aspects of both face-to-face and online instruction. Classroom time can be used to engage students in advanced interactive experiences. Meanwhile, the online portion of the course can provide students with multimedia-rich content at any time of day; anywhere the student has internet access. This allows for an increase in scheduling flexibility for students.
Why Blended Learning?
Reduce instructional costs.
Maximize/Leverage technology.
Increase instructional value. Remediation, JIT/Refresher/Review.
Deliver education where, and when, it is needed. Students are Mobile.
How to Blend?
There are no rules in place to say specifically how to blend. The term “blended” encompasses a broad continuum, and can include any integration of face-to-face and online instructional content. The blend of face-to-face and online materials will vary depending on the content, the needs of the students, and the preferences of the instructor.
Differences between f-2-f and Blended Learning
The degree to which the educator must plan the components of the learning environment.
The need to understand the impact that the technology has on the learning process.
The need to understand the impact that the technology has on the instruction process.
The adaptability of the technology to meet student needs.
Selecting a Blend:Selection of activities should be based on course or unit learning objectives. Structure and integration of the two modes of instruction are critically important. In fact, some research would seem to point to students valuing structure more highly than instructional content in a blended course. The integration of face-to-face and online components in a blended course is essential for student satisfaction with a course. In short, students must feel that a blended course is a unified instructional effort, not simply a collection of face-to-face and online materials or activities that have been thrown together.
Selecting a Blend:
Online Activities Course content Announcements Course information Quizzing Course communications Resource listing Exam & lesson
preparatory materials Multimedia content
In-Class / Face to Face Activities Course Introduction Collaborative small-
group work Advanced discussions Project Presentations Guest speakers Question & answer
sessions Demonstrations &
performances Lab work Role play & Debates
Six Models of Blended Learning:
Face-to-face: Teacher present in classroom
Rotation: Rotate between in classroom and online learning
Flex: Online curricula with teachers to provide tutoring or on-site support
Online Lab: Online courses with online teachers
Self-Blend: Online course taken in the evenings or outside/after school
Online Driver: Face-to-face first, then online
Instructional Design
What is Instructional Design?“Instructional Design is the systematicprocess of translating general principles of learning and instruction into plans forinstructional materials and learning.”
--Sara McNeil, University of Houstonhttp://www.coe.uh.edu/courses/cuin6373/whatisid.html
Elements of Instructional Design
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Dick and Carey’s Model
What to consider for Blended Learning
Outcomes
Online Assessments
Learning Activities
Classroom Interaction
Technology
Evaluation
Blended Tools for the Classroom
Virtual Field Trips – Chicago Museum of Science and Industry, The Louvre
Webquests – www.questgarden.org, www.questgarden.org, http://zunal.com http://zunal.com
Blogs, Wikis, Podcasting
Digital Storytelling
Social Networking – Edmodo or Teacher Tube (Kahn Academy)
Educational Games – Jeopardy, Wii Fit
Interactive software – www.froguts.comwww.froguts.com
Virtual Field Trips
National Museum of Natural Historyhttp://www.paleobiology.si.edu/dinosaurs
The Louvrehttp://www.louvre.fr/llv/commun/home.jsp?
bmLocale=en
Webquests
According to Dodge, WebQuests contain the following six parts:
Introduction: The introduction provides an overview and background information of the lesson. It should be interesting and motivate the students to want to go on.
Task: The purpose of this section is to focus the students on what they are going to do as the culminating product or performance.
Process: This section outlines how the student will accomplish the task in a step-by-step fashion. Links to reviewed & on-line resources will be given along with links to Web pages.
Evaluation: This section describes the evaluation criteria that will be used to grade the student.
Conclusion: This section encourages reflection and brings closure to the WebQuest.
Resources: This section consists of Internet links that the teacher preselects.
“An inquiry-oriented activity in which most or all of the information used by learners is drawn from the Web. WebQuests are designed to use learners’ time well, to focus on using information rather that looking for it, and to support learners’ thinking at the levels of analysis, synthesis, and evaluation”
Educational Games
PowerPoint Jeopardy
Nintendo Wii
Interactive Software
www.froguts.com
Conclusion1. Recognize that learning is largely a social
activity – create communities of learners.
2. Integrate learning into life experiences.
3. Enable learning by doing.
4. Encourage learning by discovery.
5. Remember that individuals have different receptors for material.
6. Make it fun!
7. Build in assessment.
Blended Learning
Student Centered
Face-to-Face
Instruction
Motivation
Online Learning
Objectives/Assessment
Questions?“There is nothing more difficult to take in hand, more perilous to conduct, or more uncertain in its success, than to take the lead in the introduction of a
new order of things.”
-Machiavelli, The Prince
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