Expanding the learning environment through blended learning
Blended learning can optimise the affordances on the on-campus and online learning environments.
The Future Making strategy provides a vision of learning experiences which prepare students for employment and life in the 21st century. One of the five aspirational pillars in this strategy, A 21st century education for a growing community of learners, asserts the value of campus-based learning and calls for student-focused teaching modes that enrich this experience, such as blended learning.
The pandemic created the impetus for a rethink of our approaches to learning and teaching. However, a measured, evidence-based response is needed to ensure a coherent and supported experience for students and staff (Bone, 2021; Locke, 2021). In the move to design and deliver transformative learning and teaching, the benefits of both the on-campus and digital environments need to be considered.
Blended learning is defined here simply as courses that offer a mix of face-to-face and online study and can be considered as existing on a continuum rather than being reduced to a ‘one-size fits all’ approach. Blended learning can be achieved thorough a range of approaches such as flipped learning.
An affordance of blended learning is that it allows us to respond to the changing needs of learners. (Wang, Han, Yang, 2015). Within Higher Education, there are repeated calls to not reduce the discussion to a simplistic face to face lectures versus technology dichotomy (Deneen & Cowling, 2021). A reflective and pedagogically sound approach to the purposeful expansion of the learning environment not only enables more flexible, inclusive, and engaging learning experiences but also contributes to the development of digital literacies that will transfer to the world of work (Coldwell-Neilson, 2020; Rapanta, Botturi, Goodyear, Guàrdia & Koole, 2020).
To support Course Coordinators in enhancing student learning through blended learning, ADEPT and Learning Enhancement and Innovation have developed the self-paced Designing Blended Learning module.
The module presents examples of blended design from Adelaide practitioners and discussions of specific aspects that make a blended design effective. The module has 3 parts: The Science of designing learning, Delivering a course, and Engaging students in learning and will equip educators with evidence-based knowledge for making pedagogical decisions when designing a blended course.
Associate Professor Peter Strelan
Two University of Adelaide educators who are lighting the way with approaches adapted to suit the needs of their disciplinary context have shared their experience.
Associate Professor Peter Strelan (School of Psychology), is co-chair of the Adelaide Education Academy (AEA) and has published a meta-analysis of flipped learning with University of Adelaide colleagues.
‘Changing your approach to teaching is risky, but through my experience of flipping learning in a large first-year psychology course, I have learnt a lot about what does, and doesn’t, work’, says Peter. ‘In particular, I have learnt it is important to clearly structure learning experiences so that students have an opportunity to get feedback on their progress’.
Dr Cheryl Pope (Senior Lecturer, School of Computer Science), is a member of the AEA Executive Committee and researches the impact of cognitive load on the learning of programming and structuring blended learning tasks to adapt to variations in student cognitive load.
Dr Cheryl Pope
'Being flexible and efficient with study time through chunking learning and measuring student progress to ensure students are focused on the concepts that they are finding challenging have been important in the success of my approach’, reflected Cheryl. ‘One of the great things about blended learning is it frees up time to provide students with additional feedback opportunities’.
Both Peter and Cheryl encourage colleagues to connect to peers and engage with Communities of Practice for support and opportunities to learn from others.
Participants in Designing Blended Learning pilot found it helpful to learn about successful models and to experience strategies and tools as learners so they could consider the students perspective. They appreciated that the completion tasks enabled them to adapt the strategies to their own courses.
The way this module outlined the key things that successful blended learning needs to consider from a student's perspective - it's been a while since I was a student, and it's important that I consider their learning process when it comes to building schemas
(Anonymous response to survey).
As this outline explains, the module covers learning design concepts; curriculum organisation; multimedia principles; and approaches to facilitating cognitive and social engagement and is most suitable for those with course coordinator or course design responsibilities.
The module is now available all-year round for self-enrol. Look out for a synchronous zoom session in May which will provide an opportunity to ask questions and discuss how blended learning concepts could be transferred to your discipline context. Learning Designers will provide feedback on the learning tasks participants submit in the online module and are always available to discuss your ideas for transforming learning in your course.
References
Bone, E. (2021). As unis eye more ‘Instagram-worthy’ campus experiences, they shouldn’t treat online teaching as a cheap and easy option. The Conversation, April 5.
Coldwell-Neilson, J. (2020). Unlocking the Code to Digital Literacy: Final report. Department of Education Skills and Employment. Canberra, Australia, FS16-0269. Available from https://ltr.edu.au
Deneen, C.C. & Cowling, M. (2021). Good riddance to boring lectures? Technology isn’t the answer – understanding good teaching is. The Conversation, May 21.
Locke, W. (2021). “Futurology” and Higher Education in the Post-COVID-19 Environment, International Higher Education, No.105 (Winter Issue), reprinted in University World News, 16 January 2021
Rapanta, C., Botturi, L., Goodyear, P., Guàrdia, L., & Koole, M. (2020). Online university teaching during and after the Covid-19 crisis: Refocusing teacher presence and learning activity. Postdigital Science and Education, 2(3), 923-945.
Wang, Y., Han, X., & Yang, J. (2015). Revisiting the blended learning literature: Using a complex adaptive systems framework. Journal of Educational Technology & Society, 18(2), 380-393.