Connections and Synergies

ELI Focus Group Session on Blended Learning

 Check out the following report on Blended Learning from ELI:

ELI Focus Group Session on Blended Learning

COHERE Report on Blended Learning in Canada

This new report from COHERE (Collaboration for Online Higher Education and Research)  begins with "Blended learning has the potential to enhance and transform Canadian higher education in teaching and learning, in flexibility and access, and in the optimization of resources. It also helps to provide the digital literacies essential for a global graduate and knowledge worker." (p.i)  The report concludes that "successful and sustained integration and uptake of blended learning requires a strategic approach, clear definitions, pedagogical and technological support and dedication of resources and infrastructure.
.... It is clear from the university responses and existing research that blended learning has an enormous potential to meet the needs of both traditional and non-traditional students." (p.15)

Interesting reading from a Canadian perspective.

 

Welcome to Mohawk's newest blog: The Mohawk College BlendR!

The BlendR is where we discuss learning mixology - need another metaphor?

Check her out at: blendedblog.typepad.com

 

Welcome Rhonda, to the wonderful world of blogging!  Rhonda just "graduated" from the Blended Learning Institute and we are thrilled to have her blogging about future directions as she redesigns and redevelops InterDisciplinary Studies courses for blended learning!  

 

 

Blended Learning Intensive

Mohawk kicked off our first Blended Learning Intensive faculty development session this week - one at Brantford and one at Fennell.  The Intensive is a 7 week/43 hour "course" on the continuum toward blended learning.  Faculty from InterDisciplinary Studies who teach General Education courses have been invited to this first Fennell Campus session.  As well, one faculty member representing each of our Faculties are attending, developing expertise that will enrich the Faculty in their journey towards blended modes of program delivery.  Each participant is bringing a course with them to redesign and redevelop in blended delivery mode. 

Peggy French, Instructional Designer, Blended Learning is leading the sessions, with a strong support team of Instructional Technologists, Librarians, and CTL services.

Connections and Collaborations: The Learning Exchange Conference

It was great to see so many faculty out for our 9th annual in-house Connections and Collaborations: The Learning Exchange Conference last week.  The key note speakers - Norm Vaughan and June MacDonald-Jenkins - were inspiring on the topic of blended learning.  The conference wound up with GIFT (Great Ideas for Teaching) sessions in the Collaboratory.  Attendees explored four fifteen minute sessons over the course of the session.  Thanks to the conference organizers and to all the presenters.  Together, we make great learning happen!

Check out the CTL website soon for video recordings of the keynote speakers!

TED talk - Salman Khan: Let's use video to reinvent education

Check out this TED talk with Salman Khan as he discusses his concept of "flipping" the traditional classroom.  Students watch video lectures at home, and work in the classroom with the teacher available to help.  

(Thanks Dan!)

eLearn Update

600+ Mohawk courses (1000 sections) are now live on eLearn.   Congratulations to faculty who are up and running in Web-facilitated: the Fundamentals mode! As well, we have several pilot projects rolling forward towards blended delivery mode. But, Mohawk has an institution-wide goal to be a Blended Learning College by 2013!  The image below shows the progression courses and programs will be taking to achieve our blended learning goal.

 

Update: Summer 2010 = eLearn@Mohawk

Hey folks.  Does anyone know where May went?  Just thought I'd give everyone a quick update on where we are with our eLearn Summer.  May was designated as the official teach-faculty-to-use-the-eLearn-tool month.  All faculty developing courses in eLearn for September delivery should have attended the two develop workshops (Intro to eLearn and How to Configure a Course with eLearn) by now.  We're now ramping up for June's focus on how to teach with eLearn.  Check out the CTL PD calendar for upcoming workshops.  Help is just around the corner (in CTL).  And, for those of you teaching July/August we will repeat the whole cycle - developing in July and teaching in August.  All of this activity means we will be ready to roll for September - starting to create a much more flexible learning environment for students.

Blended Learning pilot projects have been identified in almost every school.  We have two programs (CYW and Concurrent Disorders) willing to act as guinea pigs as well.  Peggy French, Instructional Designer, will be working closely with these teams to ensure the pilots are ready to roll in September.  We'll be hearing from all of these folks about process, successes, challenges and best practices at next years Connections Conference as well as here on my blog.

What is Blended Learning?

Ultimately, blended learning should be viewed as an opportunity to re-think the way courses are developed, scheduled, and delivered using a combination of physical and virtual instruction, “bricks and clicks” (Bleed, 2001).

Blended learning captures the best characteristics of face to face or in-class teaching with the best aspects of online learning.  It promotes active, self directed learning with added flexibility for students and instructors.    Re-thinking courses prompts re-designing.  But, educational objectives remain the same:

• Stimulate critical thinking, discourse, and reflection
• Create dynamic learning communities
• Facilitate the construction of knowledge and solidify understanding.
  

The College is hoping to pilot one true blended learning course in every school this coming September.  CTL staff are meeting with Schools over the next few weeks to identify good candidates for a blended learning course.  CTL-er Peggy French, Faculty Development - Blended Learning, will be working closely with the course developers to build true blended courses that can be showcased across the college. 

Bleed, R. (2001). A hybrid campus for a new millennium. Educause Review, 36(1), 16-24.