Since the HAP course has already been pre-populated with assignments, activities, and assessments, we thought it was important to share how specific assignments can be made unavailable to students in your particular HAP course offering.
One obvious reason for doing this would be if you intent to supplement the online activity for another face-to-face activity that covers the same objectives. Your student’s will no longer need to complete the online activity and so, they don’t need to see it.
Rather than delete the item, another option is to make it unavailable, that way, if you change your mind at a later time you can easily make it available to your students versus having to recreate the activity.
Follow the instructions found in this handout and be sure to contact your respective Instructional Technology Specialist.
Feedback within blended learning can take many forms and serve many purposes, occurring through a variety of mediums at different instances throughout the duration ofa course. At the heart of feedback is communication and social contact, which drives opportunities to refine and evaluate both learning experiences, instruction, and student performance from multiple perspectives. Feedback also plays the crucial role of developing student metacognition towards their self-regulated learning processes and individual performance.
The communication component (Kerres &, de Witt, 2003) is one of the most critical components of all blended learning and is especially pertinent when:
Knowledge reaches a certain complexity;
A deeper understanding of a theoretical framework is required;
The knowledge consists of competing concepts;
Students should learn to formulate, express, and discuss a personal point of view; and
Students to learn to participate in discussions, to formulate and receive feedback in discursive settings.
Regardless of its specific purpose and particular setting (virtual or face-to-face), timeliness plays a significant purpose in determining the both impact and relevance of feedback.
Within face-to-face settings can also take on three distinct forms (Hwang et al., 2002) :
Seeking feedback from instructors within class (InAsk);
Seeking feedback from instructors outside of class (OutAsk);
Seeking feedback from fellow students outside of class (OutCheck)
And within the virtual world, feedback can occur in a range of flexible channels, such as discussion boards, chat rooms, email, and a several other forms. Each form of feedback, both virtually and in-person, offers its challenges and advantages. Yet, collectively within the context of blended learning, an instructor’s efforts vested within feedback may foster an increase in student motivation, performance, and satisfaction.
At the forefront of blended learning there are three main organizations: iNACOL, ISTE, and EDUCAUSE.
iNACOL is the International Association for K-12 Online Learning, a non-profit organization that facilitates collaboration, advocacy, and research to enhance quality K-12 online teaching and learning.
ISTE, also known as the International Society for Technology in Education, is the premier membership association for educators and education leaders engaged in improving learning and teaching by advancing the effective use of technology in PK–12 and teacher education.
ISTE represents more than 100,000 education leaders and emerging leaders throughout the world and informs its members regarding educational issues of national and global scope.
ISTE is also known as the “home” of the National Education Technology Standards (NETS). The NETS have served as a roadmap since 1998 for improved learning and teaching. They help measure proficiency and set goals for what students (NETS•S), teachers (NETS•T), and administrators (NETS•A) should know and be able to do with technology in education.
EDUCAUSE is a nonprofit association whose mission is to advance higher education by promoting the intelligent use of information technology. EDUCAUSE helps those who lead, manage, and use information resources to shape strategic decisions at every level. A comprehensive range of resources and activities is available to all interested employees at EDUCAUSE member organizations, with special opportunities open to designated member representatives.
EDUCAUSE programs include professional development activities, applied research, strategic policy advocacy, teaching and learning initiatives, online information services, print and electronic publications, special interest collaborative communities, and awards for leadership and innovation.
You may also find the following blended learning resources useful as well:
There are many successful ways in which an instructor can assess learning in a face-to-face classroom, so why then should a blended instructor consider using online assessments as a regular means to judge learning?
Providing assessments online can add variety to the types of assessments used. Formative assessments work particularly well online, allowing students to assess their own learning at their own pace. Aside from ungraded test questions for students to practice, giving students the opportunity to do peer reviews work particularly well online. Summative assessments can benefit from the variety that a substantial test bank offers, allowing for the rotation of questions. Assessments can also be set to give feedback immediately to students.
Once you’ve decided the type of assessment you’d like to use online it’s important to plan for not only the success of your assessment but, for student success as well. Make sure that your assessments address the learning outcomes you have set for your students. You might even want to make this your first formative assessment to see where students stand at the start of your lesson/unit. Use the same assessment again throughout or at the end of what’s been taught to give your students comparative data.
As you are designing your assessments, consider how much time your students will need to complete the assessment an plan accordingly to ensure that students are given ample time to complete the activity. Also, remember that clear instructions are important, especially if you intend to deploy the assessment asynchronously. The rubric located here is a good starting place to designing successful online assessments.
Some excellent Blackboard video tutorials and instructions on developing online assessment in Blackboard can be found online at, http://ondemand.blackboard.com/assess.htm
What are some concerns you have about using assessments online and what are some ways in which you think you might be able to overcome them? Please share your thoughts by using the comments feature for this post.
Especially in the early weeks of your course, it’s important to foster a feeling of community. You’ll find that if you take the time to build community early in your course, students will be more motivated to be active and engaged in your course in subsequent months.
Here are a few simple ideas on how you can build community in your course.
Establish a Presence
Make sure to create a staff information page. This page should tell your students a little about you, how to contact you, and the best times to contact you.
Respond to all emails & calls in a timely manner
Modeling – when appropriate jump in and join your students for an activity. The Discussion Board is a great place to interact with students & you can model the way in which you’d like them to respond to their peers.
Be Inviting and Encouraging
Post regular announcements with words of encouragement, task and due date reminders, interesting facts, fun events, new websites, etc.
On occasion you may want to send important course reminders to your students via email, or words of encouragement or congratulations on work well done.
Encourage Socialization Among Students
Create a “Student Lounge” in your course. It can be a place where students can discuss items that aren’t related to the curriculum (DB forum or chatroom), a place where you showcase student work, post interesting finds that may or may not be related to class work, etc. Let your imagination go with this one.
DL buddy activities are a good way for students to work with and get to know their classmates. At the start of the semester you might consider having your students do an online icebreaker activity that breaks them up into groups or buddies to get to know a few of their classmates better. As the course continues, successful groups can continue to meet to discuss assignments or for group activities.
Highlight Achievements
It’s always nice to be recognized when you’ve worked hard to accomplish something. Take the time to recognize the students in your course that put a little extra effort into a project or assignment by creating a Student of the week/month announcement to highlight their hard work.
If you’d prefer not to single out a student, another idea could be to highlight exemplary work. Create a section in Blackboard that shares the creative, accurate, and imaginative work.
***Think about which of the strategies above you’d like to incorporate in your blended/online learning course and share them with the group by adding a comment to the post. If you have any other ideas/suggestions on building community in online courses, please add those too!***
Managing a blended learning course requires the educator to wear many hats. The common threads to many of these “hats” are communication and preparation.
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Communication will be essential for establishing expectations, eliminating uncertainty, and appeasing potential student anxiety. Throughout the blended learning experience, communication can also take a number of forms such as email, phone calls, texts, participation in discussion boards, etc. Yet, regardless of the mode, communication must remain both concise and consistent.
Critical to communication will be a clear and shared vision of the course’s structure; an understanding of methods and modes of communication itself; reminders key dates and events; outlaying expectations for assignments, activities, and corresponding evaluations.
In preparing for our blended course and its many components, proactive investments made upfront will definitely pay off throughout the course’s delivery and evaluation. There are several things an instructor can do to prep for a blended course before the beginning of the school year. First, spend some time considering the class rules and create a draft document that you can review with students in the first week, or plan a lesson where students generate their own list of class expectations. Also, consider how you will ensure that all class work done in the online environment will remain secure and protected, and plan a strategy for how you will address any instance of data being breached. Setting the rules and expectations for students, and plans for data security in the beginning of the course will go a long way towards encouraging academic honesty in your course.
In addition, Blackboard offers a number of tools that you can take advantage of this summer to help better prepare for your blended course next year. Check out the performance dashboard, a Blackboard tool that can help you manage your students’ progress and activity. Setting up grading rubrics, progress reports, and early intervention plans are just some of the ways you can proactively help students stay on track with their academics. Blackboard also features a calendar that can help both teachers and students with deadlines and time management if set up prior to the school year and maintained throughout.
With both preparation and communication in mind, utilize this rubric and the resources below to write a reflection on resources related to at least 3 of the following management strategies as a blended/ online instructor.
Aloha and welcome to the Professional Learning Network for Tri-Campus Blended Learning Project!
What Is This Thing Called PLN You Speak of?
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This Professional Learning Network (PLN) is an essential part of the training process for anyone involved in blended learning here at Kamehameha Schools. Rather than asking faculty and staff to engage in a one-sided, direct instruction type of training where participants are simply told what they should know and do, this PLN hopes to foster more connections within our own group of KS colleagues. The PLN’s overall purpose is to grow our collective knowledge by creating a space where we can share insights, ideas, and resources and learn from each other. As you progress through this training process, remember that we each have our own unique and valuable perspectives, so please a’o aku, a’o mai.
Why Are We Doing the PLN Now?
With the pilot course for the Tri-Campus Blended Learning Project just months away from implementation, the summer months offer a perfect opportunity to deepen our understanding of blended and online instruction, improve our teaching in this environment, and learn where to go for support when we need it. Through participation in this Professional Learning Network, we will gain the basic knowledge, skills, and best practices necessary to begin teaching in the blended environment. We will also learn the pedagogical theory behind successful blended instruction and get tips on how to request technical support if we ever get stuck.
So What Do We Have to Do Already?
The Tri-Campus Blended Learning Project Professional Learning Network is designed to be as simple to use as possible. In short, all we have to do is check in with the PLN once or twice a week to see what people are sharing. About once a week, there will be a new post published about some aspect of blended in online learning. Participants are expected to digest each post and any links or resources that go along with it. After some reflection, each participant will submit their own post with their thoughts and share any of their own resources related to this topic. If you are stuck on what to do or what to post, check the resource section of the PLN for helpful checklists for instructors and administrators and rubrics with guidelines for excellent submissions. During all this connecting, contributing, and collaborating on blended and online learning takes place, the PLN participants are also encourage to share their lesson plans for the coming school year.
Ready to Get Started?
Now that we know what a PLN is and what this one is for, let’s dive right in and submit our first post! Since we are only just beginning, stick to the basics with the first submission. Introduce yourself to the rest of the PLN, and let us know at least three of your goals for teaching in the online and blended environment. To help kick start your thinking, check out this rubric containing some good topics and questions for goal-setting.
After you post, please be sure to check back and reply to some other posts. Remember our Professional Learning Network is only as good as we make it!
