This document provides guidance on designing blended courses through modular content organization, learning objectives, instructional strategies, and community building. Key points include: - Courses should be redesigned into manageable modules with clear learning objectives and a mix of online and classroom activities. - A variety of instructional techniques can be used within modules, including active learning, assessments, and strategies to encourage interaction and engagement. - Community building is important and can be facilitated through online discussions and in-class group activities and assignments. - Effective team-based assignments incorporate accountability, linked tasks, and idea exchange through group roles and peer feedback.

1. Blended by Design: Designing and Developing a Blended Course Veronica Diaz, PhD, [email_address] Jennifer Strickland, PhD, [email_address] Laura Ballard, [email_address]

2. Day 2 Course redesign and engagement

3. Objectives Continue with the module design process Describe instructional design techniques used to organize content Identify course activities suited to the online or classroom environment Review some classroom technologies Explore strategies and techniques to infuse student-student and instructor-student interaction and engagement

4. Why (re)design into blended? Ensures your design facilitates your course Engage students in dynamic and vital communities Students take more responsibility for content and learning Students learn through active participation and inquiry Assessing the Role of Teaching Presence from the Learner Perspective Dr. Randy Garrison, Dr. Norm Vaughan. Available at Blended Learning and Course Redesign in Higher Education & http://net.educause.edu/ir/library/pdf/ELI07159.pdf .

5. 5 Principles of Successful Course Redesign Redesign the whole course. Encourage active learning. Provide students with individualized assistance. Build in ongoing assessment and prompt feedback. Ensure sufficient time on task and monitor student progress. http://thencat.org/PlanRes/R2R_PrinCR.htm

6. 4 Basic Redesign Steps Identify course content for a module Write learning objectives and develop instructional modules Select course (re) design strategies: determining which strategy is most appropriate for your course Integrate course content activities in classroom and online environments: determining what is best suited in either the online or classroom environment

7. Why Objectives? Clear statement of what students will be able to do when they are finished with an instructional component Focuses on student performance Provides structure: beginning, middle, and end What are the core concepts your students must learn for each module? What do they need to know? What do they need to be able to do? What will they know as a result of my instruction?

8. Support Objectives by Integrating learning technologies Classroom technologies Emerging technologies Online resources Developing diverse assessment techniques Infusing active learning, interaction, and peer engagement

9. Why Modules? Easier to find course content Support consistency Allows students to focus on content rather than form Content becomes manageable Prevents information overload “ 7 +/-2 rule” Source: Blending In, March 2007

10. Meeting Objectives Source: Blending In, March 2007

11. Course Organization Dates Topic Readings Section Unit Module

12. The Organization Course content broken down into “chunks” Course structure in a repetitive manner allowing for easy navigation Content organized in conceptually related blocks Consistent, logical, clear, common sense, apply past experience, let the content set the chunks Source: Blending In, March 2007

13. Mapping Your Course Part II Select one chunk or module What does the instructor do? What does the learner do? What can stay in the classroom? What can happen online? What is the relationship between the two? Apply Bloom’s levels

14. Building Community among Students

15. What makes a successful community? Individuals feel safe Get questions answered Have conversations Get resources/information Support Friendship Produce a product Individual and shared identities

16. Jane Livingston, 2006, Building Community in a Blended Course, Educause

17. Building Community Start early Make it relevant Identify connections Create opportunities for engagement Encourage participation

18. Collaboration Benefits Passive to interactive Increase retention of class materials Develops critical thinking skills Knowledge construction Builds community Team building Interpersonal skills Importance of emphasizing the relationship of interactive activities to “content”

19. Power Law of Participation Ross Mayfield: http://ross.typepad.com/blog/2006/04/power_law_of_pa.html

20. In Class: Student Collaborative or Interactive Activities In class writing activities 5 minute discussion questions Scripted scenarios for role playing Think-Pair-Share Note Check Case Studies Discussions Group Projects

21. Online: Student Collaborative or Interactive Activities Case studies Discussions Forums: Panel or Symposium Experiential Learning Group Projects Role-play Games & Simulations Demonstrations Online Presentations http://www.ion.illinois.edu/resources/tutorials/pedagogy/instructionalstrategies.asp

22. Activity Keeping your module in mind, develop a community-building activity for use online or in the classroom Report out

23. Break

24. Facilitating and Assessing Online Discussions Laura Ballard

25. Please think about and answer the following questions. How do you use classroom discussion in your current courses? How do you assess students?

26. Written Communication in the Online Environment Netiquette: http://www.albion.com/netiquette/corerules.html

27. Discussion boards must be graded with substantial points assigned

28. Ways to Use a Discussion Board Prepare for upcoming in-class discussion (pre-assignment) Reading Review of literature Follow-up to in-class discussion (continue discussion or post-assignment) Extension of in-class discussion and assignments (exploratory, will not be covered in class) Source: Teaching Online A Practical Guide by Ko and Rossen

29. Ways to Use a Discussion Board Continued Question and answer forum (to create an FAQ page) Pose a problem and have students generate possible solutions – discuss those solutions Students post homework or projects and get classmate feedback Case study Source: Teaching Online A Practical Guide by Ko and Rossen

30. Ways to Use a Discussion Board Continued Students critique classmates’ work using provided evaluation guidelines Find/evaluate web resources on lesson/topic and discuss results Invite guest speakers/lecturers Debate about topic

31. Quick Tip! Consider allowing students to self assign groups that will take charge of a particular week’s DB creation, facilitation, and summary.

32. Questioning Techniques “ Name and describe three social systems theories that apply to community development.” “ What theory of community development did you find yourself relating to most? Why? How would you apply that theory to our learning community?” Lessons from the Cyberspace Classroom: The Realities of Online Teaching, Rena Palloff and Keith Pratt (pg. 121)

33. Moderating and Facilitating Online Discussion Encourage participation Ensure that some students don’t dominate Keep discussion focused Bring out multiple perspectives Summarize highlights Do not dominate or be over-involved in the discussion Source: Gregg Kearsley Online Education: Learning and Teaching in Cyberspace, Wadsworth: 2000, p. 85 Source: Tom Nolan, Sonoma State University http://www.sonoma.edu/users/n/nolan/501/powerpoint/moderating_facilitating/

34. Discussion Boards in Your Hybrids How will you use the discussion board? See Discussion Board Ideas handout

35. Utilizing Student Teams and Community Building

36. Which best describes your experience with student teams?

37. Using Teams Based on the work of Larry Michaelsen (University of Oklahoma) 3 Keys Promoting ongoing accountability Using linked and mutually reinforcing assignments Adopting practices that stimulate idea exchange

38. Promoting Ongoing Accountability Require pre-group work Require group members to express individual opinions and monitor via another member Include peer evaluation in grading Readiness Assurance Process Test over readings Group: Test, discuss, reach consensus and retest Provide information for peer feedback process

39. Using linked and Mutually Reinforcing Assignments

40. Adopting Practices that Stimulate Idea Exchange Use of assignments that create conditions that foster give-and-take interaction Assign roles Use permanent groups Allow some in-class group work Size: 4-7 Diversity of opinion, ideas, and perspectives Not too easy Not too much writing Employ, select, apply concepts from the course

41. Team Teaching Tips Outline learning goals Teach team skills Clear and detailed instructions Rubric Stages of team development Forming - polite but untrusting Storming - testing others Norming - valuing other types Performing - flexibility from trust

42. Team Contracts Purpose, goals, and missions Expectations Roles Conflict resolution strategies Meetings Communication Decision-making policy Agendas Record-keeping

43. Other Resources Team Based Learning (Michaelsen) http://www.ou.edu/pii/teamlearning/index.htm Video Demonstrations http ://www.ou.edu/pii/teamlearning/video.htm

45. 4 Questions What do I want students to be able to DO after this unit of instruction (behavioral outcomes) What will students have to KNOW to do XYZ (learning outcomes) How can I ASSESS whether or not students have successfully mastered key course concepts? How can I tell if students will be able to USE their knowledge of key course concepts? (application)

46. Activity Using the 4 questions, develop some type of team activity for a unit in your course Report out