Blended Learning: Concept and Application

3rd International Malaysian Educational Technology Convention24-26 October 2009

Yusup Hashim (Ph.D)Asia e University Kuala Lumpur

If we teach today as we taught yesterday, then we rob our children of tomorrow

John Dewey

Key Points

Introduction: Online and Blended Learning Development of BL

OnLine Benchmark

Recommendations Research findings BL

Learning Tools and theories

What is Online Learning?

Teaching and Learning System mostly delivered via network/Internet operated by computer

What learning system is used to conduct online learning?

It uses Learning management system (LMS) consists of a set of learning/communication tools to plan, prepare, develop, deliver, communicate and manage online courses

What is Blended Learning?

Combination of online learning components with conventional FtF instruction. Also called hybrid learning

INTRODUCTION

ONLINE LEARNING CONVENTIONAL FTF TEACHING

BLENDED/HYBRID LEARNING

Source: Allen, E, Seaman, J & Garrett, R. (2007). Blending in: The extent and promise of blended education in United States, Annual Report, Sloan Consortiumhttp://www.sloan-c.org/publications/survey/staying_course

0% Traditional Course with no online technology used —content is delivered in writing or orally.

1 to 29% Web Facilitated Course which uses web-based technology to facilitate what is essentially a face-to-face course. Uses a course management system (CMS) or web pages to post the syllabus and assignments, for example.

30 to 79% Blended/Hybrid Course that blends online and face-to-face delivery. Substantial proportion of the content is delivered online, typically uses online discussions, and typically has some face-to- face meetings.

80+% OnlineA course where most or all of the content is delivered online. Typically have noface-to-face meetings.

Proportion of Content delivered

Type Of Course Typical Description

Source: Swenson & Redmond (2009) Issues in Teacher Education, 18(2) pp.3-10http://www.sloan-c.org/publications/survey/staying_course

Type of Learning Definition

Online Synchronous or asnychronous online learning with 20% or less F-t-F time

Blended Synchronous or asnychronous online learning with more than 20% F-t-F time

Hybrid Courses that combined two or more synchronous or asnychronous online learning tools combined with F-f-F time

In America:

I989 Berners invented World Wide Web

About 96% Universities and Colleges offer online courses (Allen & Seaman, 2006)

University of Phoenix started online learning

Development of Blended Learning

A graduate of Oxford University, England, in 1989, Tim Berners-Lee invented the World Wide Web, an internet-based hypermedia initiative for global ...

http://www.w3.org/People/Berners-Lee/

TIM BERNERS

Development of Blended Learning

Sloan Survey online Learning (2008) reported that:

Over 3.9 million students took at least one online course during the fall 2007 term; a 12 % increase over the number reported the previous year. (3.2 million Fall Semester 2005 (Sloan Consortium, 2006) Over 20% of all U.S. higher education students were taking at least one online course in the fall of 2007.

Higher fuel costs will lead to more students selecting online courses.

Institutions that offer programs for working adults are the most positive about the potential for overall enrolment growth being driven by rising unemployment.

Allen, I. E., Seaman, J. (2008). Staying the Course Online Education in United States. United States of America: Sloan Consortium. Retrieved November 16, 2008, from http://www.sloanc.org/publications/survey/pdf/staying_the_course.pdf

First Preference by Delivery Mode

Sloan Consortium (2007) reported that: • A course/program that is primarily on-campus (web- facilitated)  (24%)

• A totally on-campus course/program (22%)

• Totally online course/program (20%)

• Primarily online course/program (blended) (19%)

• A course/program that is equally balanced between online and on-campus (blended) (14%)

• A course/program by another form of distance learning (e.g. audio, video, CD-ROM) (2%)

Source: Allen, Seaman & Garrett (2007). Blending in: The extent and Promise of Blended Education in the United States, Sloan Consortium

Continue:Development of Blended Learning

Continue:Development of Blended Learning

Do Academic Leaders and Faculty Agree?

Both chief academic officers and online teaching faculty agreed that flexibility in meeting the needs of students was the most important motivation for teaching online.

Being required to teach online had the lowest rated motivation in each group.

http://www.sloan-c.org/publications/survey/staying_course

Souce: Allen, Seaman & Garrett (2007). Blending in: The extent and Promise of Blended Education in the United States, Sloan Consortium

1. Control own learning2. Feel more connected to schools3. More motivated to learn4. Collaborate with classmates5. Comfortable asking questions

How online learning benefits teacher.

Opinion of Teachers who teach online classes (n=678)

Learning in the 21st Century, 2009 Trends Updatewww.tomorrow.org

1. Encouraged students to be more self-directed2. Facilitated collaboration between students 3. Facilitated student-centered learning 4. Gave more personalized attention5. Took time to differentiate instruction6. Better understand of how my students

were doing7. Spent more time with individual students

How online learning improve teacher effectiveness Opinion of Teachers who teach online classes(n=678)

Learning in the 21st Century, 2009 Trends Updatewww.tomorrow.org

1. Control own learning2. More motivated to learn3. Comfortable asking questions4. Collaborate with classmates5. Feel more connected to schools

How online learning benefits 6th-12 graders studentsOpinion of students who attended online classes)(n=18,230)

Learning in the 21st Century, 2009 Trends Updatewww.tomorrow.org

• Internet introduced in 1996

• UNITAR was the first IPTS (Private institution) to offer online courses

followed by Multimedia Universiti, OUM, UWM and AeU.

• OUM has 75,000 students (Cumulative student enrolment)

• Online Learning in IPTA (Public Institutions)

• UITM, UPM, UKM, UPSI, UM, UTM, UTHM, USM, UNIMAS, dll.

• As of 2009, there were 21 public and 51 private universities in Malaysia

(http://www.expat.com.my/Expatriate%20Malaysia%20Info%20%20Universities%20and%20Colleges%20in%20Malaysia%20.htm

Development of Online Learning in Malaysia

ONLINE LEARNING TOOLS

1. Open Source (Free)

Moodle, Atutor, Claroline, Sakai dan Illias, dll

Types of LMS (Learning Management Systems)

2. Licenced (Commercial)

MyLms (OUM), MyGuru (UPSI), Blackboard+WebCT (UTHM), VOISS(UNITAR), MMLS (Multimedia University) SalMas (UKM) UM(COL), LMS (AeU)

• Started with MyGuru 1 in 2005 and updated to My MyGuru2.

• MyGuru2 was created with the cooperation of OUM

• Originated from myLms from OUM.

• Has some WebCT influence

• MyGuru2 was introduced in December 2006/2007 under the 2+1 Credit hour

MyGuru2 (UPSI)

MyGuru has the following features/online learning tools:

Course Tools:

• Announcement, • About the course, • Glossary, • Assignment, • General Forum, • Chat, • File Sharing.

Group Tools:

Coursemate, • Staff Information, • Online Evaluation Server, • Administration Tool

Content Management:

• About the Course• Announcement• Course Materials• Assignment• Glossary

Continue MyGuru2

Online Assessment:

• Question bank Pool, • Assessment Report

Communication Management:

• General Forum• Chat• File Sharing• Group Tool• Assessment Manager

Sambungan MyGuru2

• Announcement• Courseware (Course Content)• Learning materials (Supported digital teks and visuals,• eg. PowerPoint)• Web- links• Quiz (Online Assessment)• Question Banks (Developed by the course instructor or Academic Facilitator• Discussion/forums• Chat Room• Messaging• Assignment and Submission• Tutorial/Timetable

LMS Learning Tools at Asia electronic University (AeU}

AeU LMS

AeU LMS

E-Learning activities at IGNOU)IGNOU: Super mega open universities with 2.2 million students

TV & Webinar Sessions Community Radio Sessions

Discussion Forums, Online Calendar and Alert Systems

TV & Webinar Sessions Community Radio Sessions

TV & Webinar Sessions Community Radio SessionsFile/Assignments U/D Query Management System

Online Library and Multimedia Publishing System

Counsellors Support & Web Mentoring System

Regional/Study Centres Support System

Indra Ghandi National Open University (IGNOU) Open Course Guide (IOCG): leverages on Convergence for Learner Engagements

Sel

f S

tud

y /

Dis

cove

ry

Group Interactions/ P2P Learning

Knowledge

Man

agem

ent

PersonalDash Board

WebContent

LMS

CourseExercises

Course Map & Library

WebResources

E-Mail

DiscussionForums

IOCG

SMS AlertsM-Learn

QMS &Web Mentoring

& Alerts

TV &Webinars

ODL Learning materials

Printed materials:Modules

Teaching guidesLearning guides

TextbooksTutor feedback

Computer mediated meansWeb-based

lessons/learning objectsCD-Rom/DVD

Electronic libraries

AudioAudio CD

Audio tapesRadio

VideoVideotape

TV Broadcast

Learner- Centred Approach

Greater flexibility in pacing the programme to meet learner needs

Online Learning Theories

Online Learning Model(Types of Interactions)

STUDENT

KNOWLEDGE/CONTENT

INTERFACE

Search & retrievalTutorials, Simulations & Games, Virtual labs e-book

AsynchronousOrSynchronous

TEACHER

Independent study

Stru

ctur

ed le

arni

ng re

sour

ce

Com

munity of inquiry

Paced

, coll

abor

ative

lear

ning

Co

mm

un

ica

tion

Pee

r, family&

pro

fessiona

l supp

ort

Student-contentStude

nt-s

tude

nt

Student-teacher Teach

er-conte

nt

Content-content

Student-content

Adapted from Anderson,, T. (2004). Towards a theory of online learning. In T. Anderson & F. Elloumi,(Eds.).Theory and practice of online learning, Canada Open University, Athabasca University http://cde.athabasca.caonline_book/copyright.html Retrieved on 26 April, 2004

Influence of Technology on online Learning PCK

1. Based on Schulman theory of PCK (1986): Teachers need more than pedagogy or content knowledge i.e. need to integrate pedagogy and content (Neiss, 2008)

2. Intersection of technology, T & L and content (knowledge, and skills) is vital to prepare students for 21st Century

learning (ACOT, 2008)3. Interaction of technologies and PCK produce effective

teaching with technology3. American Association of Colleges of Teacher Education

(AACTE) published the handbook of Technological Pedagogical Content Knowledge

4. The National Educational Technology Standards (NETS, 2008) helps to improve teacher use of technology in T & L

TPACK (Technological Pedagogical And Content Knowledge)

Conte

nt

Know

ledg

e

Technology

T & L

Pedagogy

21st CenturyTPACK

TPACK & Globalisation

Source: Adapted from http://www.tpack,org and the ACOT2 Report

Online learning: Implications on Constructivism

Four reasons for incoroperating constructivism activities in online design course:

1. Increase student participation in constructing their own knowledge

2. Increase student via interaction/collaboration3. Provide opportunities for the application of content to

real life events4. Increase student participation in learning process

Source: Morales, C.R. (2007). Perceptions and practices of instructional designers towards the use of constructivist learning enviornments in online design course. Ph.D Dissertation, Cappela University

Online learning approaches are often associated with collaborative constructivist view of learning

Online Learning: Implications on Constructivism

Five reasons that discouraged IDesigners to implement constructivist activities :

1. Instructor not interested (40.48%)2. Lack of expertise (19.5%)3. Lack of time (Eg. To design and implement course

structure and content (14.29%)4. Not Relevant (14.29%)5. Lack of funding (0%)

Source: Morales, C.R. (2007). Perceptions and practices of instructional designers towards the use of constructivist learning enviornments in online design course. Ph.D Dissertation, Cappela University

Online Learning: Implications on Constructivism

Methods and constructivist activities preferred:

1. Problems solving (71.43%)2. Collaborative learning (66.67%3. Case-study (64.29%)4. Real-life applications (64.29%)

Source: Morales, C.R. (2007). Perceptions and practices of instructional designers towards the use of constructivist learning enviornments in online design course. Ph.D Dissertation, Cappela University

Online Learning: Critics on Instructional Design

1. ISD is the recommended process for designing, developing and implementing learning programs

2. ISD needs an overhaul so that it meets actual practice

3. It is a methodology (Step by step)rather than a model (observed phenomena)

4. ID has changed: Need creation of more flexible approach to design and contextual issues

5. Poor need assessmen: ID has no experience with content or learners; based on assumption and documents.

6. ID produces formal courses with specific objectives. Online learning opens opportunities for informal learning: Learner determines the objectives and when learning has been successfully completed.

Online Learning: Implications on Instructional Design

7. ISD tends to favour mastery learning: a behavourist approach

8. Most ISD models does not include steps for estimating costs, budgets, staffing ect.

Source: Carliner, S. & Shank, P. (Editor) . (2008). The e-learning handbook New York: John Wiley & Sons

Online Learning: Implications on Instructional Design

1. Enervative: Rather than promoting skills acquisition interferes with learning.

2. Endless: Leads to boredom by being too passive, devoid of interaction, allowing learners to disengage

3. Empty: Fails to implement instructional strategies, only provides information transferred to the Internet without appropriate demonstration, practice, feedback, learner guidance/coaching. Information alone is not instruction

Source: Carliner, S. & Shank, P. (Editor) . (2008). The e-learning handbook New York: John Wiley & Sons

According to Merrill (2008) much e-3 learning could be characterisedas e-3 learning (Pronounced as e sub-three learning).These three are:

Online Learning: Implications on Instructional principles

1. The activation principles: Recall, describe or demonstrate prior experience

2. The demonstration principle: Learners observe demonstration of skills or through media

3. The application principle: Learning promoted when learners engage in application of newly acquired skills through coaching and feedback

4. The task-centred principle: Learning is promoted when learners engaged in task: Task taught in context

5. The integration principle: Learning is promoted when learners integrate new knowledge with everyday lives by reflecting, discussing and defending, etc

Source: Carliner, S. & Shank, P. (Editor) . (2008). The e-learning handbook New York: John Wiley & Sons

So Merrill suggested the e-3 learning (pronounced as third power of learning: Effective, efficient and engaging). It applies 5 instructional principles:

Phase 1: Upload curriculum /instructional plan

Phase 2: Upload instructional/course materials

Phase 3: Use Forum for online discussions (teacher-learner and learner-learner interaction)

Phase 4: Use Quiz online for formative evaluation/exercises

Phase 5: Develop web page to link/integrate web page with MyGuru Phase 6: Collaborate with other learning institutions via video conferencing

Implementation of MyGuru at UPSI: Recommendations

Reserach findings on lecturer’s competencies on online learning in teaching and (Yusup, Md Nor, Ismail & Mahizer, 2007).

Research Goal

Identify lecturers’ competencies on online instruction and learning

To assist Private Institutions of Higher learning to plan online instruction as an alternative approach to conventional face-to-face teaching.

Research FindingsTable 1: Technical and Operational Skills

(n=110)

Skills Mean Std. Deviation

Navigate web-based materials 4.43 0.683

Electronic presentation(Eg: Power Point)

4.35 0.656

Use and manage e-mails 4.25 0.848

Knowledge on Personal Digital Assistant (PDA)

2.98 1.092

Design and develop web page 2.87 1.293

Use of video conferencing 2.68 1.100

Table 2 Pengalaman Pensyarah Tentang PDT (n = 110)

Pengalaman Peratus (%)

First time use online learning (OL) 43.6

OL is not used full-time 75.5

OL is used to supplement FtF conventional teaching 85.5

Learner interested to use OL 71.8

Lecturer ready to use OL 80.9

OL has attended OL training/workshop 67.3

Lecturer had access to computer and Internet

OL assist conventional teaching

90.9

Institutions provide OL facilities and infrastructure 86.4

PDT dapat membantu mata pelajaran dan cara pensyarah mengajar 89.1

PDT mempengaruhi komunikasi pensyarah dengan pelajar 77.3

Pensyarah tidak terlibat dalam Jawatan Kuasa Perancangan dan Pelaksanaan kurikulum PDT

17.3

Persekitaran PDT dapat mengubah cara pensyarah menjalankan penilaian terhadap pembelajaran pelajar

66.4

Pembelajaran autentik/konteksual dapat dilaksanakan 73.6

Persekitaran PDT dapat menjamin kredibiliti kursus 70.0

PDT tidak mengganggu beban tugas pensyarah 57.3

Pensyarah berminat untuk menggunakan PDT dalam kursus lain sekiranya diberi pilihan 83.6

Experience %

First time using online learning (OL) 43.6

OL is not used full-time 75.5

OL is used to supplement FtF conventional teaching 85.5

Learner interested to use OL 71.8

Lecturer ready to use OL 80.9

Lecturer has attended OL training/workshop 67.3

Lecturer has access to computer and Internet 90.9

Institutions provide OL facilities and infrastructure to support OL 86.4

OL assist subject teaching and teaching method 89.1

Table 2: Lecturers’ experience using online teaching

Experience %

Lecturer not involved in curriculum planning and implementation 17.3

OL enviornment can change learner evaluation and assessment 66.4

Contextual and authentic learning can be implemented 73.6.

OL enviornment maintain course credibility 70.0

OL does not affect teachning workload 57.3

Lecturer interested to do OL in other courses 83.6

Table2: Lecturers’ experience using online teaching

Continue

Influence of Technology on online Learning PCK

1. Based on Schulman theory of PCK (1986): Teachers need more than pedagogy or content knowledge i.e. need to integrate pedagogy and content (Neiss, 2008)

2. Intersection of technology, T & L and content (knowledge, and skills) is vital to prepare students for 21st Century

learning (ACOT, 2008)3. Interaction of technologies and PCK produce effective

teaching with technology3. American Association of Colleges of Teacher Education

(AACTE) published the handbook of Technological Pedagogical Content Knowledge

4. The National Educational Technology Standards (NETS, 2008) helps to improve teacher use of technology in T & L

ONLINE LEARNING BENCHMARK

1. Institutional Support

• Technology Plan for security: Password, Code, encryption, back-up system, ect.

• Technology delivery system: Efficient and Reliability and accessibility

• Central support system for infrastructure and infostructure maintenance

Online Learning Benchmark

Quality on the Line: Benchmarks for Success in Internet-Based Distance Education (NEA, 2000)

0

2. Course design and development

• Follow standard instructional design procedure and delivery

system

• Periodical course revision and evaluation to meet program standard

• Course fulfill learner needs and learning domains: Analysis, sinthesis dan evaluation

Continue………benchmark

3. Teaching and Learning

• Learner interaction with lecturer and learner with learner: Forum, chat, e-mail, voice mail, ect.

• Immediate feedback and according to negotiated time

• Learner has research and information skills

Continue………benchmark

4. Course Structure

• Before OL starts, learner need s to be exposed on course program, material access, media and technology use

• Course outline, learning outcomes, assignments and course evaluations

• Library resources: Printed and digital materials including e- journals

• Learner and lecturer agreed on assignment submission dateline

and feedback procedure

Continue………Benchmark

5. Student Support

• Provide information on course program: Admission, registration, fees, books, technology, academic adviser, ect.

• Provide Hand-ons training and information on e- library, library loan and other resources

• Provide technical assistance to facilitate learning

• Provide efficient student support service

Continue……….Benchmark

6. Faculty Support

• Instructional design and technical support to develop online learning modules

• Guide on how to move from conventional to online teaching

• Peer tutoring support

• Written document on copyright, intellectual property, ethics, ect

Continue………benchmark

7. Evaluation and Assessment

• Overall Course effectiveness

• Enrolment data, cost and innovative use of technology are used to evaluate program

• Learning outcomes are reviewed regularly to assure quality

Continue………Benchmark

SUGGESTIONS

Lecturer needs to have the following skills:

To improve technical and operational skills To create web page and use video conferencing. To improve pedagogical skills and use of of online

learning technologies. To do small maintenance, to share expertise and

collaborate with others in and outside institutions

Management:

Instructional Technology and ICT Centre to conduct training on OL: Pedagogy and technical skills

ICT centre to set up hotline service and desk officer to solve online problems

Instructional technology Centre to give advice on instructional system design

Academic Division to plan online learning in stages Teaching workload reduced and provide icentives to

enculture online learning.

Continue………Suggestions