A MOOC FOR BLENDED LEARNING PRACTICE
The goal of the BLP MOOC is to introduce blended learning as an important and rapidly developing form of education, with an emphasis on the benefits it offers to both educators and students, including greater flexibility and convenience, as well as potential increases in learner creativity and independence.
The course has been designed to assist teachers and other educational professionals to adopt blended learning strategies through a step-by-step constructivist and design-based approach. Throughout the course, you will be able to reflect on decisions taken to provide an authentic learning experience in your own context. It will provide a general discussion of types of blended learning in reference to the level of education, the needs of the students, and the subject being taught. The discussions and associated activities will review pedagogy, materials, and technology usage.
A COURSE OUTLINE
| Week 1: Foundations of Blended Learning | The Growth of Blended Learning What is blended learning? Blended learning uses Benefits of blended learning Making blended learning work Preparing for blended learning Consider creation of individual blended learning designs Purposefully integrate in-class and online activities Preparing students for blended learning Teaching principles that support blended learning |
| Week 2: Designing Blended Learning | Using theory to support blended learning practice The Complex Adaptive Blended Learning System (CABLS) The Community of Inquiry theoretical framework in blended learning Creating a Community of Inquiry: What the research tells us Seven blended learning structures in education Blended learning as technology-enabled learning in the classroom Institutions and blended learning Understand enticers and barriers to blended learning Peer-review instructional design and blended course development plans Writing learning objectives and learning outcomes Consider how subject matter may influence blended learning Student needs assessment Aligning assessment and learning objectives |
| Week 3: Technology and Blended Learning | Technology in education: An expanded definition A note on technological change and obsolescence Learning management systems Web conferencing Digital textbooks Blogs and wikis Social bookmarking, mashups, and digital storytelling Simulations, serious games, and virtual worlds ePortfolios Learning management systems and virtual learning environments Creating learning activities based on blended learning best practices |
| Week 4: Blended and Online Learning Practice | Synchronous activities for blended learning Examples of synchronous activities for models of blended learning Asynchronous activities for blended learning Asynchronous activities for models of blended learning Practical implications of synchronous and asynchronous activities Customize for context and learning design Finding, using, and creating open educational resources (OER) Useful sources of OER Learning assessment strategies available in blended learning Evaluating design and delivery of blended learning Blended course learnability evaluation checklist Community of Inquiry indicators to assess presence in blended learning |
| Week 5: Applying Blended Learning in Your Situation | Leadership and support for designing the blend of online and in-person delivery Professional development for teachers Supporting self-directed learning for students Current issues in education reform |
CERTIFICATION
Two levels of certification are available based on your level of participation and completion of tasks/activities:
- Certificate of Participation: requires participation in at least three discussion forums and completion of quizzes with a score of 70% or more on each quiz.
- Certificate of Completion: requires 70% or more on each quiz, participation in at least three discussion forums and successful completion of a Blended Learning Design Plan.
RELATED MOOCS
https://www.lctl.orgLeading Change in Teaching and Learning for a Digital World (LCTL) is a massive open online course for those interested in shaping, leading, and supporting innovative application of digital tools and technologies during teaching and learning. This course will engage you in the review, discussion, and application of leadership ideas that support new teaching and learning practices. These leadership approaches and teaching and learning practices are aligned with the digital transformation that is shaping our societies. Upon completion of this course, you will understand and have a plan to apply general leadership approaches toward education change in digital, technology-enabled teaching and learning environments.
RELATED MOOCS
At this point, we do not have a schedule of MOOCs for the 2024-25 season. Please return in the summer for updates; we will post details here as soon as they become available.
In the meantime, you might want to review courses we have offered recently:
LCTL is a course for those interested in shaping, leading, and supporting innovative application of digital tools and technologies during teaching and learning.
Explore the fundamentals of the learning process and various models of online courses to determine your learning preferences and which forms of online learning are best for you.
DCOI explores the why and how of using the Community of Inquiry framework as the basis for developing and teaching high quality online and blended courses.
