Examples of blended course designs

1. Directorate of Human Resources Examples of blended course designs Oxford Centre for Staff and Learning Developmentrsharpe@brookes.ac.uk

2. Scenarios • VLE supporting self directed study in financial accounting • Automated assessments in life sciences • Personal response systems supporting discussion of problems in engineering Sharpe, R., Benfield, G., Roberts, G. & Francis, R. (2006) The undergraduate experience of blended e-learning: a review of UK literature and practice undertaken for the Higher Education Academy. At http://www.heacademy.ac.uk/4884.htm

3. Scenario 1: Newcastle Business School Background • 600 undergraduate students • Needed efficient management of self-directed study • Student diversity • Student expectations of flexibility

4. Scenario 1: Newcastle Business School Background • 600 undergraduate students • Needed efficient management of self-directed study • Student diversity • Student expectations of flexibility An approach to the problem • Online resources • Weekly directed study tasks • Answers on timed release • Formative self- assessment quizzes

5. dialogue conceptualisation construction Scenario 1: Newcastle Business School

6. What the students said Survey responses from 200 students • Most agreed Blackboard helped them study • Most used it weekly • High usage of content and quizzes, less of discussions Students valued • Access to learner materials • Greater independence • Time saving • More convenient

7. Scenario 2: Life Sciences at Dundee Background • 1st year introductory lecture based course • Lecture notes on web since 2002 • High failure rate • Poor turnaround time for assignments • Inconsistency in quality of feedback and marking

8. Scenario 2: Life Sciences at Dundee Background • 1st year introductory lecture based course • Lecture notes on web since 2002 • High failure rate • Poor turnaround time for assignments • Inconsistency in quality of feedback and marking An approach to the problem • Computer-aided assessment (CAA)

9. Evaluation • No negative feedback regarding the use of CAA • 99% of those who responded said the online tutorials improved their understanding of the topics covered • 93% felt that the marks awarded were appropriate • “The ability to re-do tests and assignments again once you have already done it is good. It enables you to continue learning the more you try it.” • The overall module pass rate rose from 73% to 93%.

10. Scenario 3: Engineering at Strathclyde Background • Weak conceptual understanding • Insufficient interaction and discussion in class • Low student motivation An approach to the problem • Personal response system in class • Question and answer with discussion/defence of answers.

11. Scenario 3: Engineering at Strathclyde Evaluation • 74% of students agreed that in comparison with traditional lecture classes, the teaching methods used here were more effective in helping them to acquire an understanding of fundamental engineering concepts. • 95% agreed that I am more actively involved in PRS than traditional classes In focus groups students attributed their understanding to • being active in class • having time to think, reflect and discuss • discussion with other students in peer groups.

12. What makes these applications of technology successful?

13. From courses to activities

14. In pairs, consider an (e-)learning activity that you have been involved in as a teacher • Describe it to your neighbour and allow them to ask questions for clarification. • Swap over Try to identify for each activity: • What was being learnt • How it was being learnt

15. How was it being learnt?

16. Three (and a half) approaches to understanding learning • People learn by association: building ideas or skills step-by-step e.g. mnemonics, training drills, imitation, instruction • associative learning leads to accurate reproduction or recall

17. Three (and a half) approaches to understanding learning 2. People learn by constructing ideas and skills through active discovery e.g. exploration, experimentation, guided discovery, problem-solving, reflection • constructive learning leads to integrated skills and deepunderstanding

18. Three (and a half) approaches to understanding learning 2. People learn by constructing ideas and skills through active discovery e.g. exploration, experimentation, guided discovery, problem-solving, reflection 2 ½ People learn by constructing ideas and skills through dialogue e.g. discussion, debate, collaboration, shared knowledge-building • (social) constructive learning leads to integrated skills and deepunderstanding

19. Three (and a half) approaches to understanding learning 3. People learn by participating in communities of practice e.g. apprenticeship, work-based learning, legitimate peripheral participation • situated practice leads to the development of habits, values and identities

20. How do your students learn? • Is any one of those approaches more suitable for your students on this course? • Which approaches to learning do you think you currently support well? • And which less well? • How does the teaching on the course support such learning?

21. “The job of the educator or instructional designer then is not simply to create materials in which concepts are clearly explained, but to create learning situations in which students find themselves actively engaging with the concepts they are learning.”. Alexander G. (1998) Communication and collaboration online: new course models at the Open University, NLL Conference 98.

22. Principles of effective learning design People learn more effectively when: • They are active (mentally, socially or physically) • They are motivated and engaged • There is constructive alignment of their activities with the desired learning outcomes • Activities are appropriate to their present capabilities • They receive feedback • They have opportunities for supportive dialogue (with tutors, mentors, experts or peers) • They have opportunities for integration across activities

23. References • Dickinson, J. (2005). Enabling e-learning in higher education: Newcastle Business School. • Morris, L., & Walker, D. (2006). CAA sparks chemical reaction: integrating CAA into a learning and teaching strategy: Scottish QAA. • Boyle, J. T., & Nicol, D. J. (2003). Using classroom communication systems to support interaction and discussion in large class settings. ALT-J, 11(3), 43-57.