Presentation for NLN Education Summit Washington DC September 2013 Dr Cynthia Bechtel and Dr Susan Mullaney

1. Robin S.
Robinson
Dr. Susan
Mullaney
Dr. Cynthia
Bechtel
BLENDED LEARNING and
FLIPPED CLASSROOM
Increasing Student Engagement

2. Who are we?
Dr. Cynthia Francis Bechtel, PhD,
RN, CNE, CSHE, CEN
Associate Professor/Coordinator MSN
Program
Dr. Susan Mullaney, EdD, RN, CNE
Professor/Department Chair Nursing

3. Have you seen this classroom?

4. Our students in a face-to-face
classroom

5. Why use blended learning?
“As I reflect on my undergraduate education, I can
honestly say I was a passive learner. All of my
undergraduate classes were the usual lecture
format. The professor was the sole provider of the
information spoon feeding us what we needed to
know. I was one of the students in the lecture hall
feverishly taking notes on what seemed like
endless number of PowerPoint slides the
professor prepared on the subject. The amount of
collaboration between student and professor was
usually limited to ‘we need to get through this
information people.’”

6. Objectives
• Discuss the innovative teaching
modalities of blended learning and
flipped classroom
• Illustrate creative online course
modules
• Examine student experiences with
blended learning and flipped
classroom courses

7. Is it Hybrid or Blended?
• Hybrid - course delivery label used
to advertise a non-traditional face-to-
face course to students.
• Blended - combines classroom
teaching with web-based or other
forms of instruction in and out of the
physical classroom.
• Result = enhanced learning
experience

8. U.S. Department of Education Study
• Their meta analysis showed that
“blended” instruction – combining
elements of online and face-to-face
instruction – had a larger advantage
relative to purely face-to-face instruction
or instruction conducted wholly online.
• http://www2.ed.gov/news/pressreleases/2
009/06/06262009.html

9. Flipped classroom
• Didactic material online
• Face-to-face class time for
interactive assignments which
build upon online material
• Is NOT putting PowerPoint or
videos online

10. Course Design Strategies
Does a blended
course create a better
student learning
experience?

11. Course Design Strategies
“Some benefits of the hybrid format are
the self-directed learning modules that
can be completed during times that
work best for the learner, less time
involved in travelling to classes, and no
tests with this program. ”

12. Why Hybrid?
What is driving the
pedagogical change at our
institution?
Why in MSN program?

13. Our students

14. A student’s reaction
“I had been a bit anxious about the on line portion of
the classes. All my previous classes had been face-
to-face and e-learning seemed like it would be
impersonal and solitary. I’m so glad I was so
wrong. The hybrid nature of this program appears to
combine the best of both worlds. Face-to-face
classes allow visual, tactile, real time interaction, and
the ability to get to know classmates in a more
personal way. The online portion allows greater
flexibility, reflection, and time to research things more
fully.”

15. Goal of blended learning
• Join the best aspects of both face-to-face
and online instruction.
• Classroom time can be used to engage
students in advanced interactive
experiences.
• The online portion of the course can
provide students with multimedia-rich
content at any time of day, anywhere the
student has internet access.

16. A student’s view
“I knew I didn’t want to take online courses
as I imagined it would be impersonal. I
thoroughly enjoy reading the modules,
viewing the videos, reviewing the articles,
and writing a discussion board on the
subject. I also very much enjoy the
Wednesday evenings together, the spirited
conversations, the networking,
collaborating, and group projects.”

17. “The hybrid class has allowed for
a higher level of learning and
teaching. I felt that I learned more
from these two classes than
almost any I’ve taken in the past.”
Why Hybrid?

18. What are our challenges?
What are the
challenges of a
blended class?

19. Challenges
• Foremost is the need for resources
to create the online materials to be
used in the courses.
• Material development is a time- and
labor-intensive process
• Student expectations of blended
courses

20. What are the challenges?
“As for the on-line portion of our class, I
thought that that would be a cakewalk.
Answer a few questions, post, and no big deal,
right? Wrong, I find the discussion boards to
be so thought provoking and as I am reading
for the modules, I find myself looking for more
information. This class has made me more
inquisitive.”

21. Best Practices
What are the
characteristics of a
successful blended
class?

22. Best Practices
“I am finding that I am more of an active
learner with hybrid classes. I am more
likely to research the discussion board
questions and actually put an effort into
them.”

23. Best Practices
•Define what blended learning
looks like in your course
•Set “Rules of Engagement” for
discussion, communication, etc.
•Quality Matters
https://www.qualitymatters.org/rubric

24. Best Practices
• Design learning activities that actively
engage students in both online and face-to-
face environment.
• Plan how face-to-face and online
components integrate to build a cohesive
course.
• Select and incorporate appropriate
instructional technologies to meet learning
goals and deliver online experiences.

25. Best Practices
“The hybrid course design incorporates
diverse learning styles. The online
modular topics, readings, assignments,
videos, links, and resources gave me
alone time to experience the subject in a
multidimensional true-life learning
process.”

26. Best Practices
“In order to be successful in a hybrid course,
one must be dedicated and self-disciplined.
Unlike the conventional face-to-face classes,
e-learning requires that the student
complete assignments and course work by a
deadline, but without the constraints of
being in a classroom setting”

27. Examples
• Advanced Technology and
Nursing Informatics Module
• Management Module

28. Just Ask
•Questions?
•Comments?

29. Contact us
Dr. Cynthia Bechtel
cbechtel@framingham.edu
Dr. Susan Mullaney
smullaney@framingham.edu