Blended Learning 101

Timothy Brannan, Ph.D.Instructional Technology Services, Inc.

Professor, Central Michigan University

tim.brannan@comcast.net

(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

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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