- To what extent do you think you have achieved each of the Learning Outcomes for this week? If you believe there is room for you to accomplish these more fully, what could you do to achieve that?
Learning is an abstract phenomenon. My learning on blended e-learning has increased during the assignment this week. I have thoroughly read resource books, provided to me. I have made a blue print of blended e-learning course for my students. It is the next step of simple E-learning.By elaborating on the concept of blended e-learning, we designed the course, considering the needs of students, their level of interest, involvement, the nature and necessity of subject, the reach and efficiency of the teaching process, and the time and cost factor.
I understood this course fully, and found the very concept of blended e-learning, which was to design a curriculum both onsite and online. “The term ‘blended learning’ is increasingly being used to describe a hybrid model of e-learning that allows coexistence of conventional face- to-face teaching methods and newer e-learning activities and resources in a single course (Little, A., & Pegler, C. 2007) ”. So, I researched from the digital resources. The beauty of blended e-learning is that this method of teaching is a research-based teaching method. It requires the management of university or course construction management to find out their need, which can be assessed through a rigorous research. The real mix of online, offline, and onsite made this course a success.
- What have you learned this week regarding the use of online learning to support student learning?
The design of an online course is a hard task. We took care of, the needs of administrators, instructors, and students. The amount of time between onsite and online was determined according to our course. As our course is a Practical education, so, it required more onsite time than that of online.
Theoretical courses may be given more synchronous as compared to asynchronous time. The “hyflex” model of blended e-learning,provided us, the option of dividing time according to our need. The amount of focus and interest of students was considered in time allocation. For retaining the attention of students, their input was given pivotal importance, in assigning time for onsite and online activities. The options of, One day or two days a week, Or onsite or online, all were disigned according to the student will , as explained in “hyflex” model. (Beatty 2010).
- What does all this suggest about the ways you and your colleagues are currently supporting your students learning in your own practice and teaching context? What does it suggest that is currently good about this, and about how it could be further developed in the future?
Previously, we were practicing onsite learning practices.We were using a teacher-centered approach and following a lecture method as our teaching method. By going through this activity, I have adopted blended e-learning, as my teaching method. It will increase the focus and concentration of my students and will make them more responsible by allowing compulsory participation, in group activities, asynchronously.
The application of the learning management system made students more attentive and flexible in their learning. An element of empathy was found in that, process of learning. Self-check quizzes motivated the students to learn. (Little, A., & Pegler, C. 2007).
- How has your understanding of the use of online and / or blended learning changed from doing this week’s topic and activities?
“Developments in e-learning, particularly the sort of format changes in new media have transformed the poten- tial of distance education, in which a wide range of media formats were already extensively used. But e-learning also allows on-campus courses to take a more flexible view of the type of student activity that may be going on outside the formal classes, in particular the potential for the learning conversations (Laurillard. 2001)”. The idea of blended e-learning was novel to me. This concept was revealed on me in a real sense through this week’s assignment. I thought there were two methods of teaching onsite and online. But through this activity, it was evident that blended e-learning is the need of time and a new method of teaching. In this time of crisis, this is the only method, flexible enough to compensate the learning time of students and teachers, by allowing more online time than onsite. In some models of hybrid learning, it is up to students to select the right mix of onsite and online time. So, this is a massive boost to those who want to study subjects according to their own choice and pace of time.
- How did you learn this?
I found this blended e-learning very easy and exciting. I learned it from the following books
Littlejohn, A. & Pegler, C. (2007) and Salmon, G. (2008). I learned course by empathizing and visualizing the current scenario and imagining the needs of the present time. Group discussion was critical in learning this course. HEA web resources were essential in my learning. Rigorous reading was a crucial element in my learning. I employed group discussion in my CRJ.
- What supported your learning?
The rigorous study of the digital resources, which includes books on blended e-learning and web resources, helped me in my learning. My previous experience compelled me to accept the need for blended e-learning. This concept of mix learning is the result of the evolution of technology and requirements. Human collective sense has helped in its development, and the right mix of onsite and online rests on the demographic will of the course manager.
- What has challenged you?
This course is straightforward to learn. Some ethical issues challenged me in this course. Online education does not guarantee the seriousness of students. This asynchronous type of online learning, is a question mark on formative assessment of pedagogue. Teaching online education to adults is a difficult task as they are digital immigrants. Blended e-learning can fall anywhere between online and onsite so, the right balance is the biggest challenge for course developers.The Cambridge education group suggests 30% onsite and 70% online blended e-learning course. This distribution is difficult to understand but with the passage of time I will understand this concept.
- What has surprised you?
The amount of ease that a student can imagine can be provided in this type of learning. Choosing the time and amount of courses is the relief in this type of education. The compulsory discussion gives the right social knowledge, which is the desire of any student. “When used effectively, blended approaches can address some of the problems that have yet to be resolved within e-learning. For example, it has been noted that some large online courses have rela- tively high drop-out rates. One way to counter the tendency to drop out may be by building in opportunities for groups to meet face to face, to help students to feel more committed to the group that they are studying with. Where the students are already in a single geographical location on a regular basis, such opportunities are usually easier to arrange(Weller, 2003)”. So, this method can overcome dropout the biggest problem of the sustainable education goal of the world.
- How does this relate to what has been proposed in the different sources of scholarship you read? Which specific sources and what claims in those does this relate to?
“Everybody is on a path- not always the same one, but moving in this direction.’’( University Affairs 2014).The relationship is supplementary and complementary. The needs and wants of students are changing as the world is a global village. Frequent movements and diverse locations can be converged through blended e-learning.This concept goes back to the 1990s. (Frieson 2012). This teaching method, is new in the world and people are accepting it due to its benefits. Usually, Personal learning networks deepen their knowledge, and It is apt for a higher education institution. So, everything read previously is connected by the bind of need which is fulfilled by blended e-learning.