COVID-19 forced universities around the world to find new ways of operating and they are taking these lessons into 2021. Higher education institutions had to pivot and quickly change their teaching and learning model and alter the way students interacted with professors, advisors and staff. Universities needed to figure out how to deliver valuable educational experiences and provide safe social opportunities as they implemented health safety measures to protect students, teachers and the community.
Blended learning delivery – combining face-to-face learning with dynamic digital activities and content that facilitates anytime and anywhere learning – can meet several objectives. Asking students to participate in a combination of online and in-person learning helps protect students, professors and staff from the virus. Lessons can be designed to accomplish teaching and learning objectives. And done right, a blended learning program can also encourage safe student interaction. Because the model can work so well, blended learning delivery may well continue on campuses after the pandemic.
A December 2020 study from U.K.-based Joint Education Information Systems Committee, (JISC), a non-profit that supports higher education institutions and provides advice on digital technology for education and research, looks at how universities in Wales prepared for blended learning. Institutions across the higher education sector in Wales participated in the research for the report, which offers characters of an effective blending learning delivery plan across teaching and learning, assessment and student experience:
Teaching and Learning:
Effective blended learning programs focus on the learning experience and outcomes before considering technology and must have clear aims, objectives and opportunities for assessment. In addition, effective blended learning encourages active participation over passive content consumption, using live online delivery that includes lectures that can be broken into smaller learning sessions and provide opportunities for student participation. Including asynchronous activities provide flexibility and allow for students’ individual study habits. All components – synchronous and asynchronous – must be fully integrated and enhance and enrich one another. Teaching methods can include student activities supported by digital tools and techniques, like games, polls, quizzes, scenario and project-based learning activities, for instance.
Assessment:
A blended learning delivery model can incorporate assessment methods that allow students unlimited time to completion exams. Professors can encourage peer-to-peer assessment by building in online collaboration and discussion tools. Professors can use the university’s digital platforms to submit digital assessments, provide personalized feedback and track student progress. And to reduce plagiarism, professors can choose assessment methods that minimize opportunities for cheating like plagiarism detection or online exam invigilation technologies.
Student Experience:
An effective blended learning delivery program supports and encourages students to develop independent study and research skills, collaboration, information literacy and self-motivation. Provide students with ample direction and guidance to they have a clear idea of what to do and where to find help. Make sure staff and students understand professor expectations, including how much face-to-face time and independent learning are required. And finally, an effective program allows for differentiated instruction to meet students’ individual needs and provides additional support as needed.