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The blended learning research: What we now know about high quality faculty development and course design.
Veronica Diaz, PhDAssociate DirectorEDUCAUSE Learning Initiative, EDUCAUSE :::League for InnovationInnovations Conference, San Diego, CA
Download Mehttp://www.slideshare.net/drvdiaz/
blendlearnresearch
Research and Best Practice
• Faculty development • Course design • Faculty development and course design:
30,000 foot view
A few questions…
• I teach in the blended mode • I have designed a blended course • I manage or lead blended course initiatives • I have developed a blended faculty development
program • I am involved in blended course peer review • I oversee the design or redesign of blended
courses • I conduct research on blended courses
SUPPORTING THE FACULTY IN THE BLENDED MODE
Faculty Development
New Skills and Course Design
• Facilitating online discussions and small group activities
• Developing new forms of student assessment
• Scheduling and communication challenges as courses meet online and face-to-face
• Work overload for faculty and students• New technologies • Students need to understand their active
role in the learning environment
COMPETENCIES AND SKILLS REQUIRED FOR BLENDED TEACHING
PI: Lawrence C. Ragan
Co-PIs: Paula Bigatel, Janet May, Shannon Kennan
Statistics Consultant: Brian Redmond
Penn State University
Goal: Support the Development of Blended Instructors
• What are the skills and competencies necessary for blended teaching success? • At what point in the
instructor's career should these competencies be developed?
Phase I Process and Results
• Used survey to rate skills as “Not Very Important” to “Very Important”
• 200+ individuals completed survey• Half had “5+ years of online teaching
experience”– Interesting note: No significant difference between
respondents according to years of teaching experience
• 2:1 Females: male• Cross discipline domains represented
Multimedia Technology
Administration/Leadership
Active Learning
Classroom Decorum
Policy Enforcement
Technological Competence
Responsiveness
Competency Categories
How would you rank these?
1. Multimedia Technology 2. Administration/Leadership 3. Active Learning 4. Classroom Decorum 5. Policy Enforcement 6. Technological Competence 7. Responsiveness
Competencies by Mean
1. Active Learning 2. Administration/Leadership 3. Responsiveness 4. Multimedia Technology 5. Classroom Decorum 6. Technological Competence 7. Policy Enforcement
Competency 1: Active Learning
• The instructor encourages students to interact with each other by assigning team tasks and projects, where appropriate.
• The instructor includes group/team assignments where appropriate. • The instructor encourages students to share their knowledge and expertise with the
learning community. • The instructor encourages students to participate in discussion forums, where
appropriate. • The instructor provides opportunities for hands-on practice so that students can apply
learned knowledge to the real-world. • The instructor provides additional resources that encourage students to go deeper
into the content of the course. • The instructor encourages student-generated content as appropriate. • The instructor facilitates learning activities that help students construct
explanations/solutions. • The instructor uses peer assessment in his/her assessment of student work, where
appropriate. • The instructor shows respect to students in his/her communications with them.
Competency 2: Administration/Leadership
• The instructor makes grading visible for student tracking purposes.
• The instructor clearly communicates expected student behaviors.
• The instructor is proficient in the chosen course management system (CMS).
• The instructor adheres to the university's policies regarding the Federal Educational Rights & Privacy Act (FERPA).
• The instructor integrates the use of technology that is meaningful and relevant to students.
Competency 3: Active Teaching
• The instructor provides prompt, helpful feedback on assignments and exams that enhances learning.
• The instructor provides clear, detailed feedback on assignments and exams that enhances the learning experience.
• The instructor shows caring and concern that students are learning the course content.
• The instructor helps keep the course participants on task. • The instructor uses appropriate strategies to manage the
online workload.
Competency 4: Multimedia Technology
• The instructor uses a variety of multimedia technologies to achieve course objectives.
• The instructor uses multimedia technologies that are appropriate for the learning activities.
Competency 5: Classroom Decorum
• The instructor helps students resolve conflicts that arise in collaborative teamwork.
• The instructor resolves conflicts when they arise in teamwork/group assignments.
• The instructor can effectively manage the course communications by providing a good model of expected behavior for all course communication.
• The instructor identifies areas of potential conflict within the course.
Competency 6: Technological Competence
• The instructor is proficient with the technologies used in the online classroom.
• The instructor is confident with the technology used in the course.
Competency 7: Policy Enforcement
• The instructor monitors students' adherence to policies on plagiarism.
• The instructor monitors students' adherence to Academic Integrity policies and procedures.
Task Importance Rankings: Top 10
1. The instructor shows respect to students in his/her communications with them.
2. The instructor provides students with clear grading criteria.
3. The instructor clearly communicates course goals.4. The instructor clearly communicates course content.5. The instructor shows enthusiasm when interacting with
students.6. The instructor provides clear, detailed feedback on
assignments and exams that enhances the learning experience.
Task Importance Rankings: Top 10
7. The instructor communicates with students about course changes, reminders of due assignments, relevant additional resources through announcements/emails.
8. The instructor can effectively manage the course communications by providing a good model of expected behavior for all course communication.
9. The instructor provides prompt, helpful feedback on assignments and exams that enhances learning.
10. The instructor clearly communicates expected student behaviors.
UWM: Course Redesign Program
Alan Aycock, Ph.D.Learning Technology Center
University of Wisconsin – Milwaukeehttp://bit.ly/axxAX2 (blended learning site)
http://bit.ly/bmLkvr (blended learning presentations )
Faculty Development Model
• Best way to learn how to teach a blended course is to take one
• UW-Milwaukee’s faculty development program– 2 f2f half-day sessions, 2 weeks apart– During the interval, complete online assignments
and participant interaction• Goal: to acquire new teaching skills; get
questions answered; produce actual course materials
• Ten questions • Online vs. F2F - Integration• Designing learning modules
• Decision rubric for content choices
• Learning objects
Course Content
• Progressive/summative• Before, during, and after• Self evaluation• Peer evaluation• Student evaluation
Course Evaluation
• Rubrics• CATs• Templates • Traditional formats
Assessment Plan
• Synchronous/asynchronous• Establishing voice• Discussion forums• Small groups
Online Learning Community
• Managing expectations• Time management• Technology support
Helping Your Students• Staying organized
• Managing workload• Avoiding course and a half
Course Management
Course Redesign
Transitioning to Blended Teaching
Topics and Issues Covered
Day One: Face-to-FaceIntroduction of participants and staff
Overview of requirements
Discussion: 10 Key Questions for Course Design
BREAK
Presentation: Designing a Course Module Using Discussion Forums
Breakout: Developing a Learning Module
Presentation: Digital Content Delivery in Online and Blended Teaching
Activity: Making Choices about Content Delivery
Presentation: Grading your Students in Online and Blended Courses
Activity: Drafting an Assessment Plan for your Course
Evaluation of Program (Day 1)
Online Assignments Between Face-to-face Sessions
• Assignments build on Day One F2F• In each case, samples and detailed instructions
available online• Participants post to discussion forum, respond to
at least one other participant• Assignments of progressive difficulty – learning
module, assessment plan, draft syllabus• Close the loop by bringing hardcopy syllabus to
Day Two F2F for peer review breakout
Day Two: Face-to-Face
Discussion: Challenges to Course Redesign
Activity: Critiquing Learning Modules
Presentation: Promoting Active Learning
Activity: Active Learning Strategies
BREAK
Presentation: Staying Organized and Helping Your Students
Presentation: Course evaluation for online and blended courses
Activity: Syllabus Peer Review
Evaluation of Program (Day 2)
Blended LearningFaculty Development
Maricopa Community Colleges
About the Program
About • Centrally-offered• 2 formats: 12 hours total
– 4 hours, one day a week for 3 weeks
– Weekend, two 6-hour days
• Project – Partially redesigned course
• Faculty Professional Growth • Cross disciplinary • Lab setting
Format• Short presentations • Hands-on learning
technology activities• Readings and research
assignments • Small group discussions
with participants in sessions • Out-of-class application
assignments • Assessment at end
http://www2.estrellamountain.edu/ctl/fy_outcomeAssessment.asp
UMBC: Faculty Supporting Faculty
• “10 minutes of fame”– 1 minute posing pedagogical problem– 1 minute showing how deliverable solved problem– 1 minute discussing student/peer feedback– 2 minutes describing next steps– 5 minutes for Q & A
• Presentations are open to entire campus; encourage administrators, alumni to attend
Guiding Principles For Faculty Development
• Provide the “student experience”
• Provide “safe” environment
• Address “potential failure” of system
• Set realistic expectations
• Survive before thrive• Create a learning
community• Model best behaviors• Connect F2F
Table Talk: Your Top 5 in 5
What were they?…..
How do they address your blended teaching and learning challenges
and/or help promote success?
SUPPORTING THE FACULTY IN BLENDED COURSE DESIGN
Course Design
Redesign Work
• Defining the blend (as an institution and as an instructor)
• Rethinking how to use class time• Rethinking how to facilitate
online interaction and engagement
• Learning more about technology• Budgeting time and starting
redesign• Create, practice, experiment,
refine
Blended Learning: 2 Keys to Success
• . . . organic integration of thoughtfully selected and complementary face-to-face and online approaches and technologies.
• . . . an opportunity to fundamentally redesign how we approach teaching and learning in ways that higher education institutions may benefit from increased effectiveness, convenience and efficiency.
Garrison & Vaughan, 2008
Community of Inquiry Framework
Social PresenceThe ability of participantsto identify with the community (e.g., course of study), communicate purposefully in a trusting environment, and develop inter-personal relationships by way of projecting their individual personalities.
Cognitive PresenceThe extent to which learners are able to
construct and confirm meaning through
sustained reflection and discourse in a critical community
of inquiry.
Teaching PresenceThe design, facilitation and direction of cognitive and social
processes for the purpose of realizing personally meaningful and educationally worthwhile learning outcomes.
7 Principles of Successful Blended Learning
1. Design for open communication & trust
2. Design for critical reflection & discourse
3. Create and sustain sense of community
4. Support purposeful inquiry
5. Ensure that inquiry moves to resolution
6. Ensure students sustain collaboration
7. Ensure assessment is congruent with intended learning outcomes
http://educause.adobeconnect.com/p56665953/
Course Design – Social Presence
• Principle: Plan to establish a climate that will encourage open communication and trust.– Supports purposeful
collaboration and a questioning predisposition.
• Strategy – use small groups
• Technique – to discuss and negotiate
expectations
Facilitation – Cognitive Presence
• Principle: Encourage and support the progression of inquiry.– Essential to keep
discourse on track and ensure that inquiry evolves.
• Strategy – focus discussion; model
discourse; facilitate critical discourse; move to resolution
• Technique – use group projects
Blended LearningCourse Design
Maricopa Community Colleges
Redesign Process Overview
• New course or existing course (online or face-to-face)
• Break the course down into discrete, specific learning objectives
• Ask: which objectives are best met online?
• Ask: which objectives are best met face-to-face?
• Strategies: how will you integrate the online portion with the face-to-face portion?
• Strategies: what is the relationship between the face-to-face and the online component (reinforce, new, application)?
• Strategies: how will you make students accountable for the online portion?
Redesign Tools
• Mapping the course • Organizing the course
– Objectives– Modules– Schedule – Lessons – Readings– Topics
• Use as many samples of blended courses as possible (syllabi, course sites)
Readings Writing
Student Team ProjectResearch
Case/PBL Assessment
Modules (exam
ple)
The HyFlex Course Model
Brian Beatty, San Francisco State UniversityHyFlex Blog:
http://drbrianbeatty.com HyFlex Papers and Presentations:
http://itec.sfsu.edu/hyflex/hyflex_home.htm
Hybrid + Flexible = HyFlex
Online
Onground
HyFlex
STARTING POINT
• Instructional Tech graduate program– Established, face to face history– 130 students, 3 FT faculty, 5-10 PT faculty– Regional campus (workers and commuters—2+
hours)• Seminar courses
– Instructional Technology topics (learning, design, integration, media, etc.)
• Technology users
HyFlex Course Principles/Values
• Learner Choice: Provide meaningful alternative participation modes and enable students to choose between participation modes weekly (or topically).
• Equivalency: Provide equivalent learning activities in all participation modes.
• Reusability: Utilize artifacts from learning activities in each participation mode as “learning objects’ for all students.
• Accessibility: Equip students with technology skills and access to all participation modes.
Two Course Types
• Type A: Small to moderate interactive classes– Content presentation and class discussion– Ex: Graduate seminars
• Type B: Large lecture classes– Minimal in-class interaction among students and
faculty– Ex: Undergraduate required courses
Type A: Student ExperienceClass Topic,
Goals, Other Factors
Attend Class in person?
Online Agenda In-class Agenda
Shared Resources
Online Activity (discussion)
In-class Activity
(discussion)
Demonstrate Class Outcomes
Independent Activity
(information)
LMS
Weekly Topic Area For Content
DiscussionsOnground Participants
Online Participants
AsynchronousTopical
Discussion
Live In-classInteractive Discussion
Weekly Reflection REQREQ
REQ
REQ OPT
OPT
Type B: Lecture Capture• Lecture capture technology is capable of packaging and
distributing lectures in different formats (Rich media echo, Podcast (MP3), Enhanced Podcast, Video).
Results (brief)
• 80% say they learned as much as expected or more
• 80% prefer blended classes; 60% prefer to choose their own blend (HyFlex)
• Some like working online, most like in-class; (almost) all like flexibility
HyFlex Fit
• What value would it add? (student-control, increased online offerings, resolve scheduling conflicts, increased course enrollment)
• What support/cost would it require? (training, staff, technology, admin structure, faculty/student acceptance)
How To Get Started
Choose one course to start your re-design (or start from scratch):
• Can the content be taught in both modes?• Can students learn in both modes?• Can the faculty teach in both modes?• Do administrative structures support both?
Table Talk: Your Top 5 in 5
What were they?…..
How do they address your blended teaching and learning challenges
and/or help promote success?
Faculty Development and Course Design
30,000 foot view
Success is highly correlated with
1. Institution’s ability to support the blended instructional model and
2. A high quality, well-implemented (and supported) faculty development program
Quality Assurance and
Course Peer Review
Quality Assurance & Alignment
• 5 of the 8 general standards must align:– Course Overview and Introduction– Learning Objectives – Assessment and Measurement– Resources and Materials– Learner Interaction– Course Technology– Learner Support– ADA Compliance
– http://www.qualitymatters.org
Alignment of Key
Components
Essential Standards that Relate to Alignment
• Activities/resources correspond to objectives
• Learning activities foster interaction:– instructor-student– content-student– student-student (if appropriate)
• Clear standards are set for instructor response and availability
• Measurement against objectives
Other Essential Standards
• Assessment strategies should provide feedback to the student
• Grading policy should be transparent and easy for the student to understand
• Implemented tools & media should support learning objectives and integrate with texts and lesson assignments
• The course acknowledges the importance of ADA compliance
Quality Assurance Uses
• Internal review processes• Guidelines for online course
development• Checklist for improvement of
existing online courses• Faculty development/training
programs• Local effectiveness research• An element in professional
and other accreditation processes
Quality assurance resources
• CSU Chico, Rubric for Online Instruction: http://www.csuchico.edu/celt/roi/index.shtml
• Illinois Online Network http://www.ion.uillinois.edu/initiatives/qoci/rubric.asp
• University of Southern Mississippi Learning Enhancement Center http://www.usm.edu/lec/docs/LEC_Online_course_rev2.pdf
• Houston Community College http://online-course-design.pbworks.com/f/Online_Course_Rubric08.pdf
• Craven Community College http://tinyurl.com/cravencc Note: May need to cut and paste some links into browser.
Institutional Readiness and Blended Learning
Institutionalizing Faculty Development: Significant Benefits
• Creates experiential learning for faculty participants
• Enables cross-discipline sharing of teaching techniques and learning communities among faculty
• Creates lifelong learners among the faculty
• Creates scholarship around teaching and learning
• Allows peer evaluation of successes and failures
Source: UCF's Support for Teaching and Learning Online
Program Options
• Mandatory vs. required • Application to teach
blended courses• Release time • Reassigned time • Faculty mentors • Course development
model– One at a time – Best of breed
• Central training • Departmental training • 2-step process (design
and teach)• Experiential • Tiered approach over a
few years • Overview • Summer institute
Possible Program Components
• What is blended learning • Faculty readiness• Learning objectives • Module development• Course redesign
strategies• Assessment techniques• Rubrics• Learning technologies
• Student readiness• Student success • Student crisis points• Student teams and other
collaborations• Academic integrity
online• Copyright issues• Building community• Online discussions
Institutional Readiness for Blended Delivery
• Good fit with the character and mission of the institution
• Good fit with learner characteristics of the institution
• Good fit with support services available
• Demonstrated level of faculty interest
• Robust campus infrastructure – Ubiquitous, universal
access to computing – Redundant, reliable
network services – Well-equipped campus
labs or students equipped with technology
– Coordinated technical support
Source: UCF's Support for Teaching and Learning Online
Institutional Readiness for Blended Delivery
• Distance or distributed learning leadership – Reconciling/understanding
faculty and institutional motivation for blended programming
– Articulated vision and shared vision from top administration
– Campus-wide coordination – Planned growth (high
demand areas)
• Commitment to faculty support – Incentives and rewards – Systematic faculty
development – Research design and
analysis support – Tenure and promotion
reconsideration
Institutional Perspective: Evaluation
• Student Access – Enrollment Growth, Attrition, Graduation Rates
• Learning Effectiveness - Student Outcomes (however defined)
• Faculty Satisfaction – Perception of their Teaching
• Student Satisfaction – Perceptions of their Learning
• Cost/Benefits
Institutional Readiness for Blended Delivery
• Commitment to course and program support – Design for scale – Quality standards
development – Multimedia production
support – Research and development – Copyright support
• Commitment to assessment – Ensuring quality of programs
• Commitment to learner support – 7 x 24 help desk support – Communication and
marketing – Flexible tutoring and
advising – Orientation – Adequate software – Web-based campus
services
Research Take-Aways
• Technology ownership• Motivation for enrolling • Success
indicators/predictors • Robust student support• Sound information
internally and externally
• Faculty workload and satisfaction issues
• Explore secondary teaching and learning benefits
• Peer mentoring of faculty members
Sources: http://dl.ucf.edu/research/rite/dl-impact-evaluation/ and ECAR 2010 Student Study http://www.educause.edu/Resources/ECARStudyofUndergraduateStuden/217333
Resources • Sloan online and blended learning survey reports:
http://www.sloan-c.org/publications/freedownloads• Campus Computing Project: http://www.campuscomputing.net/• ELI Blended Learning Workshop Guide:
http://www.educause.edu/blendedlearning• ELI Blended Learning Focus Session Resource List:
http://net.educause.edu/ir/library/pdf/ELIFF10res.pdf• ELI Blended Learning Focus Session Recordings:
http://www.educause.edu/Resources/Browse/ELIFF10/39333• Maricopa Blended Learning Site:
http://ablendedmaricopa.pbworks.com/ • UCF Research:
http://dl.ucf.edu/research/rite/dl-impact-evaluation/
Online Spring Focus SessionApril 13–14, 2011http://net.educause.edu/eli113 ……….
Read about the initiative: Seek Evidence of Impact……….
Take the SEI Survey: http://www.surveymonkey.com/seisurvey……….
CONTACT INFORMATION
Veronica M. Diaz, PhDAssociate DirectorEDUCAUSE Learning [email protected]
Copyright Veronica Diaz, 2011. This work is the intellectual property of the author. Permission is granted for this material to be shared for non-commercial, educational purposes, provided that this copyright statement appears on the reproduced materials and notice is given that the copying is by permission of the author. To disseminate otherwise or to republish requires written permission from the author.
