In Blended Learning, the amount of classroom seat time is reduced and a portion of the instructional activities occur online. Blended course design requires faculty to carefully consider which classroom instruction and activities would be best suited for face-to-face and online environments.
Online learning tools are utilized to:
- create online instructional activities that elicit discussions prior to a class meeting.
- extend a face-to-face classroom discussion to the online environment.
- facilitate assignments.
- facilitate assessments.
- facilitate a student research project.
- provide group areas for students to work on team projects.
- conduct fieldwork.
- engage and prepare students for in-class interaction.
Materials for Blended:
- Accountability Worksheet
- Blended Course Inventory
- Blended Course Design Tips
- Blended Unit Design Guide
- Activity Comparisons
- Designing Active Activities
Quality Blended Course Review Rubric
Based upon the Faculty Senate recommended “Best Practices in Web-Enhanced, Blended, and Online Teaching” guidelines, the Quality Blended Course Review Rubric can be utilized as a tool to assess how core best practices are being followed; to ensure an effective learning experience for students. The rubric is formative rather than evaluative. The overall goal is to engage in a collaborative conversation regarding a course site and to assist with ongoing revisions and improvements to the course design and execution.
Devising a Blended Plan
The key to successfully teaching a Blended or hybrid course is planning. Instructional Development specializes in working with faculty to assess course goals, inventory resources, and activities, as well as develop assessments for any course duration. Since designing a Blended course plan is such a customized process, we encourage faculty to schedule a consultation with one of our instructional designers to begin the process. It is helpful to have a syllabus and key course goals in mind, prior to the appointment.