"Over the past 10 years, blended learning has matured, evolved, and become more widely adopted by institutions of all types. This evolution of the instructional model…have opened new possibilities for curriculum design, especially the ability to design a course that uniquely blends face-to-face (F2F) and online interaction, allowing institutions to address learners' specific needs and customize the learning environment rather than rely on a one-size-fits-all approach." — 2010 EDUCAUSE Learning Initiative (ELI) Report

While definitions may vary, blended courses are typically characterized by a 30%–70% reduction in class time, with instructional activities being shifted online and in either asynchronous or synchronous formats. (This is different from "flipped classrooms," which shift lectures/instruction to an online environment without any reduction in classroom time.)

Instructors interested in redesigning their traditional face-to-face (F2F) classes for blended delivery may find the process overwhelming. Where do you start? What activities happen when? Will students learn what they need to learn? Below are three guiding principles for getting started with designing effective blended courses.

1. Set the Rhythm of the Course: Effectively designed blended courses go beyond the superficial add-on of non-F2F components into the traditional F2F course structure. There should be a natural rhythm between in-class and out-of-class components, each complementary and synced with one another. For example, a Tuesday/Thursday course that keeps only the Tuesday session in-class should be redesigned so that activities for the Thursday online session will build on what happened the previous Tuesday and previews what is to come the following Tuesday.
2. Differentiate Content from Mode: When designing blended courses, it is critical to differentiate content (i.e., instructional materials such as readings, lectures, assignments, etc.) from mode (i.e., the method through which content is delivered, such as textbooks, videos, discussion boards, etc.). Doing so will allow instructors to determine what is the optimal mode to deliver specific types of content. For example, while lecture content can be delivered either in-class and/or online, a faculty wanting rich interaction might opt for in-class lecture, incorporating student engagement activities such as clickers or peer-instruction.
3. Define When Learning Happens: Since blended courses reduce in-class time, it is important to plan what learning happens when. Typically, any learning that benefits from the immediate feedback of the faculty and that requires social/emotional connections among learners is better done synchronously in-class or through web-conferencing. All other learning (e.g., homework exercises, reading, discussion forum, etc.) can be delivered asynchronously online.

Designing an effective blended course can take up to six months of planning and preparation, so give yourself some time and be patient. As with any new approach to teaching, the key is to gather feedback, make adjustments, and redeploy. An easy way to do this is to ask your students to provide feedback at key intervals during the course, and use the feedback to make adjustments for the next round.

Resources:

• Diaz, V. and Brown, M. (2010 November 15). "Blended Learning: A Report on the ELI Focus Session." EDUCAUSE Learning Initiative (ELI). Retrieved from http://www.educause.edu/library/resources/blended-learning-report-eli-focus-session on May 26, 2014.
• Glazer, F. S., Ed. (2012). Blended Learning: Across the Disciplines, Across the Academy. Herndon, VA: Stylus Publishing.
• Stein, J. and Graham, C. (2014). Essentials for Blended Learning: A Standards-Based Guide. New York, NY: Routledge.
• University of Central Florida (UCF) and American Association of State Colleges and Universities (AASCU). "BlendKit Course. Blended Learning Toolkit." Retrieved from http://blended.online.ucf.edu/blendkit-course/ on May 26, 2014.

To follow up on any of these ideas, please contact me at fglazer@nyit.edu. This Weekly Teaching Note was adapted from a contribution to the Teaching and Learning Writing Consortium hosted at Western Kentucky University and organized by Seneca College and New York Institute of Technology.

Contributor:
Mike Truong, Ph.D.
Executive Director, Office of Innovative Teaching and Technology
Center for Teaching, Learning, and Assessment
Azusa Pacific University
mtruong@apu.edu
http://www.apu.edu/itt