RAT & Blended Learning - Blended Learning is NOT about the combination of media or technologies. The mixture of digital and analogue media won't necessarily improve learning. Neither will the combination of Wi-Fi, phones and apps substantially shift our teaching. We need to shift our gaze from "shiny gadgets" and focus on how we can thoughtfully integrate our learning and teaching activities, whether they be in the classroom or online or both. The RAT continuum is a useful way to start thinking about the blend. RAT is a framework to describe how ed tech is used. We either replace, amplify or transform our teaching and learning with tech. Often our tech use is focused our replacement. E-books instead of a textbook. An online quiz instead of a test. A video instead of a lecture. The delivery vehicle is different, but the form remains the same. Replacement tech might have novelty value, but it won’t change practices in a typical normal room. To blend in a way that takes advantage of the affordances of tech, then we should be re-thinking how we want to use technology in the blended learning classroom. RAT is a good place to begin re-conceptualizing our un-examined assumptions about technology can be useful.

1. • By Derek Moore

6. Apps & Wifi

18. Replace existing practices: Technology is
used to facilitate course management and
resources for learner support. The focus
here is on ed-tech replacing (but not
changing) established practices and how
technology can be used as a substitute
Ed tech provides information and
resources to students (e.g., lecture
notes or recordings, assessment
guidelines) or to perform basic
administrative functions (e.g.,
announcements or course emails).

20. Augment existing practices. Technology
is used to enrich the quality of teaching
and learning. But the way the class is
conceptualised remains fundamentally
the same. The focus here is on learning
outcomes, assessment and teaching /
learning activities
Ed tech supports discussion and
collaboration (e.g., threads in forums,
multiple authors on a Wiki), offers
additional and supplementary materials
(e.g., links to expertise, videos podcasts
and other digital resources) or to extend
the capabilities of the teacher and
students (e.g., e-portfolios)

22. Transform existing practices. Technology
alters, restructure, reorganizes teaching
excellence . The focus is on digital
capabilities and how these are integrated
within a transformed pedagogy.
Ed tech is used to make to make
strategic changes with the use of
technology to support learning,
teaching and the student experience

27. Give me a pen and
3 highlighters over
any laptop.
I type up my notes,
but then I print the
stuff out anyway and
then write down
what I typed up in
class and place
those in a binder.
Call me
Amish, but I
write notes
in class.
Damn, why do professors like
to use PDF files?... you cannot
type any additional notes
onto the file, you have to
frikkin print them out and
write out the additional notes

28. Replaces Amplifies Transforms

29. • Thank-you
@weblearning

30. Credits
• Grant, K. (2016) The Transformational Use of Video in Online Learning
https://humanmooc.Pressbooks.Com/chapter/the-transformational-use-
of-video-in-online-learning/
• McHugh, S. (2013) The RAT, SAMr, Transformative Technology, & Occam's
Razor http://doverdlc.blogspot.co.za/2013/06/the-rat-samr-
transformative-technology.html
• Hughes, J. (2000) Teaching English with technology: Exploring teacher
learning and practice. http://techedges.org/wp-
content/uploads/2015/11/Hughes_Full_Dissertation.pdf