THE POTENTIAL IMPACT OF BLENDED LEARNING ON THE LEARNING AND TEACHING EXPERIENCE OF STAFF AND STUDENTS AT THE UNIVERSITY OF WINCHESTER

Dr Bex Lewis

bex@bex-lewis.co.uk

What is Blended Learning?

“The term is commonly associated with the introduction of online media into a course or programme, whilst at the same time recognising that there is merit in retaining face-to-face contact and other traditional approaches to supporting students. It is also used where asynchronous media such as email, forums, blogs or wikis are deployed in conjunction with synchronous technologies, commonly text chat or audio.”

Janet Macdonald Blended Learning and Online Tutoring: Planning Learning Support and Activity

Design, 2008, p2

Learning/Pedagogy

http://www.slideshare.net/redmagma/elearning-sucks?src=embed

With the web you can...

The 21st Century Learner

http://mscofino.edublogs.org/2008/11/30/a-meeting-of-minds/

What is already on the radar at the University of Winchester?

Moodle-Based Learning Network Podcasts Wikis Wimba Pronto Electronic Submission Clickers YouTube (including

http://www.youtube.com/edu) Mobile learning, inc. iPhone Apps

http://digital-fingerprint.co.uk/2009/09/fully-convergent/

Latest debates

http://www.alt.ac.uk/altc2009/index.html

Synchronous Conferencing

http://www.elluminate.com/; http://www.wimba.com/; http://www.webex.co.uk/

A Digital Native: Jake’s Story

“Jake told the executive that he never goes directly to a brand like this man’s newspaper or even to blogs he likes. ... he reads a lot of news – far more than I did at his age. But he goes to that news only via the links from Digg, friends’ blogs, and Twitter. He travels all around the internet that is edited by his peers because he trusts them and knows they share his interests. The web of trust is built at eye-level, peer-to-peer.” (Jarvis, p.86, my emphasis)

http://www.slideshare.net/lisaharris/crossing-the-chasm-1831246

What’s out there?

http://blog.twingly.com/2009/08/19/guest-post-social-media-adresses-the-hierarchy-of-needs/

More Useful?

http://dd.dynamicdiagrams.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/03/58299511_2bcff18db2.jpg

How do we measure value?

http://www.winchester.ac.uk/?page=11134

http://skillsnetwinch.wordpress.com/http://twitter.com/SkillsNetWinch

http://www.youtube.com/user/SkillsNetWinch

SkillsNet, Winchester

But how can we use it?

Technology is just a tool?

http://www.camb-ed-us.com/school/standards-assessment.asp

Practical Ideas?

Blogs: Real-time engagement, formative feedback Twitter: “Backchatter”, concise summaries of

arguments/texts. Delicious: Bookmarking within a course, sharing links Online treasure hunt: leading to the library! Second Life: museum for Creating and Consuming

History E-Portfolio: Space for reflective journaling Wiki: Non-linear development of an argument Facebook Group: Industrial placement students,

maintaining community YouTube: Session tasters

http://www.slideshare.net/cristinacost/communicating-our-culture

What is the purpose of this?

Three factors in all those empty wikis: “There is insufficient purpose to the e-

intervention; it is solving a problem that does not exist;

It is not built into the regular face-to-face teaching of the course or its assessment structures;

Insufficient time is available to set up and then diligently maintain the activities.”

Fry, H., Ketteridge, S., Marshall, S., Enhancing Academic Practice: A Handbook for Teaching and Learning in Higher Education, 2009 (3rd Edn), p.91

What else can staff do?

Presentation: Dr Lorraine Warren

http://www.slideshare.net/lisaharris/using-social-media-for-research

Key Online Contacts David Hopkins (Bournemouth University):

http://www.dontwasteyourtime.co.uk/; @hopkinsdavid

Steve Wheeler (University of Portsmouth): http://steve-wheeler.blogspot.com/ @timbuckteeth

Lisa Harris (University of Southampton): http://www.lisaharrismarketing.com/ @lisaharris

Jane Hart (Centre for Learning & Performance Technolgies) http://www.c4lpt.co.uk/ @c4lpt

Johannes Ahrenfelt (Secondary School Teacher):http://www.innovativeict.net/ @ahrenfelt

Offline Bibliography Fry, H., Ketteridge, S., Marshall, S., Enhancing

Academic Practice: A Handbook for Teaching and Learning in Higher Education, 2009 (3rd Edn) (Routledge)

Gillespie, H. Et al., Learning and Teaching with Virtual Learning Environments, 2007 (Learning Matters)

John, P.D. & Wheeler, S., The Digital Classroom, 2008 (Routledge)

Lynch, M.M. Learning Online, 2004 (Routledge) Macdonald, J., Blended Learning and Online Tutoring:

Planning Learning Support and Activity Design, 2008 (Gower)

Mayes, T. & de Freitas, S. ‘JISC E-Learning Models Desk Study: Review of e-learning theories, frameworks and models’, 2004

Race, P., Making Learning Happen: A Guide for Post-Compulsory Education, 2005 (Sage)

THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME

QUESTIONS?