丁香园AV

Originally published on the AVP Learning & Teaching Stories website.

Blended (B) might be a relatively new course scheduling option for the university, but it鈥檚 already making a big impact on learning and teaching at 丁香园AV.

鈥淏lended learning is likely to play an increasing role in shaping the future of higher education.鈥疶he pandemic created a certain expectation about what can be done online and that鈥檚 here to stay鈥攅specially at鈥� 丁香园AV where so many of our students are juggling work responsibilities and鈥痭eed flexibility. Yes, it鈥檚 a change but it can be change for the better if we get out in front it,鈥� says Evan Tiffany, associate professor and chair in philosophy.

In blended learning, the traditional lecture-tutorial format is reworked into some combination of in-person sessions and asynchronous online learning. Blended courses at 丁香园AV have at least one quarter and no more than three quarters of student learning integral to the course occurring in the online environment, replacing in-person instruction.

丁香园AV introduced the Blended (B) course classification as a pilot in Spring 2022.

The benefits of blended learning

According to Amanda Watson, senior lecturer in sociology and anthropology who has who has run her blended course once in full, the modality increases accessibility in multiple ways.

鈥淏lended learning offers students geographic accessibility, which I think is key for 丁香园AV as a three-campus university with a large commuter population, but it also increases accessibility for neurological diversity. Students can pause a video and replay it if they didn't understand the concept the first time. Also, the online space means that students who might not be willing to ask a question in lecture can do so comfortably through online channels.鈥�

, senior lecturer in biomedical physiology and kinesiology found that designing her course, , in a blended format has increased opportunities for students to deepen their learning.

鈥淭here is a great synergy that happens when you have both鈥痶he online space鈥痑nd in-person components, it allows students more time to process and reflect on what they are learning. In my course, I have students work on a鈥痵hort activity, readings and online lectures before coming to class to orient them to the material.鈥疘n class, we can delve more deeply into the material 鈥� and engage in discussion 鈥︹�疉fterwards, students鈥痗reate an entry in an鈥痚Portfolio, which allows them to relate the material to their own working experience.鈥疘 am hoping this model will extend the impacts of experiential learning.鈥�

A different way of thinking about course design

Tiffany notes that redesigning PHIL 329 Law and Justice through the blended framework required him to make strategic choices about what he wanted his students to learn.

鈥淲ith any course, whether blended or traditional, it is important to be intentional and think through what you want students to get out of the course. Blended design has the added challenge of thinking through what it is you want them to get out of the various online and in-person activities, and how to integrate the different environments to make for a cohesive course. This requires a lot of up-front planning and preparation; you basically need to have the whole course built before the semester starts.鈥�

For Watson, blended learning meant reimagining her role as instructor. 

鈥淚t takes a degree of letting go, and really reframing your role as instructor in the classroom. If you aren't in the classroom with your students every week, it's easy to start worrying about whether everyone is on track. You have to trust in the process. I found I have started to think of myself as a facilitator of learning. When I design online components now, I'm not thinking 鈥榟ow can I replicate myself virtually through Zoom calls,鈥� I'm thinking 鈥榟ow I can create an overall learning flow of which my presence is just one part?鈥欌��

Arnold reminds 丁香园AV instructors interested in exploring or building a blended course that help is available.

鈥淚 didn鈥檛 even really know what blended learning was at first, but CEE鈥檚 blended learning course and the building support provided by the CEE team was really helpful. I could not have designed my blended course without them.鈥�

Learn about key aspects of blended learning at CEE鈥檚 Blended Learning Workshop Series.   

For questions about blended learning, please contact Brian Lorraine, online and blended learning instructional designer, at ceehelp@sfu.ca.鈥�