1. Designing your Blended Course
Design Pathway & Planning Tools
Richard Walker E-Learning Development Team University of York
Blended Learning Worskhop

2. Session Outline Design principles Planning pathway Planning tools
Defining course objectives
Planning pathway
World Politics exemplar
Planning tools
Walk-through of planning pathway
Tools & guidance
Summary of key steps
Workshop Outline

3. Principles for BL course design
Blended Learning is not an ‘add-on’ to an existing teaching approach
It involves a “fundamental reconceptualisation & reorganization of the teaching and learning dynamic”
It is about “rethinking and redesigning the teaching & learning relationship” (Garrison & Kanuka, 2004)
addressing variables of space/location; time; pedagogy – activities & scope in course design
Pedagogic drivers inform the design model & activity / tools framework

4. Reflection point 1: Objectives for your course
For an existing course:
How has the course worked to date?
Strengths & weaknesses of the current design?
Opportunities to ‘design in’ student activity
For an existing or new course:
How might the introduction of online activity address student learning and engagement with the targeted learning outcomes?
What are the implications for the way that the course is designed and delivered (i.e. impact on teaching & learning relationship)?

5. Blending Illustration: World Politics (2006) #1
Problems identified in a previous first year programme based on lectures and tutorials:
“Too many students did the minimum of reading, and tutorial discussions could then become based too much on opinion rather than informed by reading and empirical cases.
In the case of some students this could then set a pattern of low expectations of the amount and level of work expected of them.”

6. Blending Illustration: World Politics (2006) #2
ONLINE
Objectives:
Encourage students to explore politics through diverse cases
Promote independent research skills & collaborative learning
Activities:
Individual reading of primary electronic sources
Group research
Collaborative writing of case reports
CLASS-BASED
Objectives:
Provide students with theoretical approaches to understanding political issues
Engage students in evidence-based seminar discussion & debate
Activities:
Weekly lectures
8 weekly seminars
Blending Illustration: World Politics (Spring 2006)

7. Role of Online Tools Targeted learning behaviour Function Tool
Reference & revision
Make available instructions, study guidance assignment shedule & updates
Course outline
Announcements
Sharing research & interacting on group writing task
Enable ready sharing of research and writing of group reports
Work group file exchange
Knowledge sharing to inform seminar discussion
Enable exchange & reading of case reports prior to seminars
Seminar group file exchange
Discovery learning
Review of case study resources with links to a range of e-journals and websites
Electronic case resources
Benchmarking own work
Making available examples of work nominated by tutors
Good reports
Develop awareness of plagiarism avoidance
Submitting work for plagiarism detection & discussing report
Quizzes
Safe Assignment
Role of Online Tools

8. Structure of the Course
Course Week
Activity
Method (online /
class-based)
Week 1
Induction – intro to VLE, review of netiquette, entry survey
PC classroom
Week 2
Introduction – lecture on approach
- seminar discussion
- completion of referencing & plagiarism quizzes
Plenary lecture
Class-based
Online
Weeks 2/3
Group research & report writing
Upload to seminar work space
Online Online
Week 3
States lecture
Seminar discussion on group reports
Plenary lecture Class-based
Weeks 3/4
Sructure of the Course

9. Structure of the Course Cont.
Course Week
Activity
Method (online /
class-based)
Week 4
Governance lecture
Seminar discussion on group reports
Plenary lecture
Class-based
Weeks 4/5
Group research & report writing
Upload to seminar work space
Online
Week 5
Women & Development lecture
Weeks 5/6
Week 6
Causes of Armed Conflict lecture
etc.
Structure of the Course Cont.

10. Reflection point 2
How would you approach the design of your blended course?
Things to think about:
The rationale and drivers for a blended design
how the course will be ‘sold’ to students?
suitability of the design to learner profile (competencies/aptitude/established learning culture)
The coherence of the blended design
the ‘join’ between the face-to-face and online learning activities and their relationship to the overall course objectives, including targeted learning outcomes & assessment plan

11. Step 1: Statement of purpose (existing course)
Statement of objectives:
Course objectives
Learning outcomes
Statement of course structure:
Teaching activities
Contact time / delivery methods
Student activities
Self-study hours & methods / location of learning

12. Step 2: Statement of objectives (blended approach)
Activities:
Online Learning
Objectives:
Activities:
Class-based Learning

13. Step 3: Define learning behaviour, functions & tools
Targeted learning behaviour
Functions
Online tools
Introducing Blended Learning 13

14. Learning, activity & tools framework – Part 1
Blended Learning Model
Targeted Learning Behaviour
Group / Individual
Activity
Output
Tool
VLE Supplemented
Review of course notes and resources
Individual or
Individual reflection on course concepts or space to raise queries (individual learning log)
Summary notes / questions
Blog
Group
Share problems / discuss solutions
Peer support
Forum
Self-assessment
Completion of short tests (open / closed questions)
Score / feedback & links to supporting materials
Assessment engine
VLE Content Dependent
Knowledge acquisition
Self-paced learning activities – interactive tutorials and assessment activities with feedback
Guided walk-through of topic
Summary of key points (concept map)
Learning units & assessment engine
VLE Assessment
Presentation of individual reports
Completion of report template or portfolio
Submission of report
Completion of summative assessment activity
Blog, Wiki, File submission
Introducing Blended Learning 14

15. Learning, activity & tools framework – Part 2
Blended Learning Model
Targeted Learning Behaviour
Group / Individual
Activity
Output
Tool
VLE Communication
Sharing ideas / interaction on group research
Group
Discussion / comments
Exchanging resources (files & data sets) Decisions / conclusion
Reports
Presentations
Forum
Blog
Reflective summary
Individual or Group
Critique of research paper or key text (in preparation for seminar)
End of unit report
Reflection on key lessons learned
Wiki
Knowledge sharing
Extended discussion on theory – building on class
Reflections on work-based practice
Reflective contributions to shared discussion space
VLE Collaboration
Shared summaries of research papers
Collaborative writing of topic summaries, referencing key papers / texts
Digestible summaries of complex themes (revision aid)
Introducing Blended Learning 15

16. Step 4: Blended course structure
Course Week
Activity
Method (online / class-based)
Week 0
Week 1
Week 2
Week 3
Week 10
Introducing Blended Learning 16

17. Refining your plan Define roles of instructor, tutors & students
Identify responsibilities for each role
Key actions & delivery phases
Highlight timing for release of resources
supporting & sustaining learning
Interventions
support, feedback & assessment

18. Step 4: Alternative course structure (phased delivery)
Delivery Phase
Time Frame
Class-based Activities
Online Activities
Special Action Required
Phase 1: Preparation of the module
(design phase)
Tutor roles / Student roles
Resources: content & e-tools
Support to students?
Feedback & assessment
Phase 2: Socialising learners (start of the module)
Phase 3: Supporting student participation online (early stages)
Phase 4: Sustaining student participation online (later stages)
Phase 5: Summing up the learning
outcomes for the module (end of module)

19. Design principles for blended learning: models & tools
Summary of key steps
Design principles for blended learning: models & tools 1
Reflection on existing course design: objectives & outcomes 2
Scope for blended course design: objectives & outcomes 3
Definition of targeted learning, activities & tools 4
Outline of blended course structure 5
Refinement of course plan

20. Resources for this presentation
E-Learning tools matrix:
_1-t_GImagO1e
Planning template:
_1-t_GImagO1e
Phased deliver plan:

21. Recommended reading
Allan, B. (2007) Blended Learning: Tools for Teaching and Training. London. Facet Publishing, ISBN
Garrison, D. R. & Kanuka, H. (2004). Blended Learning: Uncovering its Transformative Potential in Higher Education. The Internet and Higher Education, 7(2),
Littlejohn, A.H. & Pegler, C. (2007) Preparing for Blended E-Learning. Routledge, London.
Salmon, G. (2002) E-tivities. London. Kogan Page.

22. Any Questions?
If you have any questions or comments about this presentation, please contact me.
Blended Learning Worskhop
Richard Walker E-Learning Development Team University of York