Blended Learning Tips and Tricks.

Blended learning refers to the use of eLearning in combination with face-to-face teaching. Here are three simple ways to use eLearning in your teaching for a blended learning approach.

1. Use discussion postings from your subject website to facilitate discussion in class.
  Create a discussion area in WebCT for one of your topics and post a provocative or challenging question or point of view for the students to respond to. Tell students that you will be discussing this topic in the next class and encourage them to go to the discussion area and post their comments. In this way students have the opportunity to think about the issues before class and you can use their comments as part of the discussion in class.


2. Provide online multiple choice or short answer questions to assess students' learning.
  Use the online assessment tool in WebCT to post multiple choice or short answer questions for your students to complete. By providing students with opportunities to test their knowledge of particular topics or concepts you are providing them with feedback on their progress which they can use to focus their study efforts.


3. Build up a database of online resources for a topic using resources students have found and critically evaluated.
  Give your students an activity where they need to find online resources relevant to a particular topic. These might include websites, multimedia presentations, videos or blogs. Have your students collate the resources they find - you can get them to do this in class or online - and to discuss and critically evaluate each of the resources. Each time you do this activity with your students you can update your database of resources with new ones that your students discover!


4. Consider incorporating "reusable learning objects" - videos, simulations, presentations etc. - available for free online in your teaching.
  Consider incorporating "reusable learning objects" - videos, simulations, presentations etc. - available for free online in your teaching. Here are some links to website that have a whole range of high quality reusable learning objects. Have a look at what's on offer to see whether there are learning activities suitable for your students.


5. Create a group in Facebook and post resources (e.g., photos, video, links) and set up discussions for your students.
  Create a group in Facebook and post resources (e.g., photos, video, links) and set up discussions for your students. This social networking application is familiar to students and you may find it easier to get them to look at something in Facebook than other sites. It also has some good features and add-on applications that can be used for educational purposes. eLDSS run workshops on using Facebook in your teaching - see the eLDSS website for further information.


6. Use online games such as flashcards and crosswords to help students learn discipline specific vocabulary in a fun and enjoyable way.
  Use online games such as flashcards and crosswords to help students learn discipline specific vocabulary in a fun and enjoyable way. Hotpotatoe is an applications that allows you to create interactive:
  • Quizzes with multiple-choice and short-answer questions;
  • Games with jumbled-sentences, matching/ordering and fill-in-the-gapexercises
  • Crosswords (this is really cool and very easy to use!)
Students can access these games on the web (or from your WebCT site). This software is free to use for publicly-funded, non profit-making educational institutions (which means PolyU!), but see the licensing terms for details.



7. To make the most out of your online resources, make sure you give students a reason to use them.
  To make the most out of your online resources, make sure you give students a reason to use them. Students are more likely to look at or use an online resource if this resource is explicitly linked to a classroom or assessment activity. You should make it clear how the resource relates to the subject content, what it is that students should do with the resource and when they should do it. Unless students see a good reason for using a resource and are given some instructions about how and when it should be used, it is unlikely they will look at it just out of interest.



8. Online conferencing tools can facilitate communication and collaboration and sharing of resources.
  Online conferencing tools can facilitate communication and collaboration and sharing of resources. There are a number of applications available now that combine video / audio conferencing, whiteboard and document sharing in the one interface. Staff can access Adobe Connect through ITS which supports a large number of online participants - contact ITS to obtain an account. Or for smaller group collaboration, you could sign up for a free vroom through Elluminate which allows up to three parties to participate in an online conference with audio, interactive whiteboard, file transfer and application sharing. These types of applications are great for when it isn't possible or convenient to meet face-to-face and are easy to use.



9. PolyU's library has a wide range of digital resources which can be embedded into your course content with just a few clicks.
  PolyU's library has a wide range of digital resources which can be embedded into your course content with just a few clicks. These e-resources include e-books, e-journals, electronic databases, electronic references such as encyclopedias and statistical sources, e-learning programmes, electronic theses, video-on-demand and audio visual materials. For more details on what resources are available through the library, click here or contact Susanna Tsang lbstsang@inet.polyu.edu.hk Tel:2766-6858. The library also runs a workshop on how these e-resources can be embedded into course content by means of permanent links to bibliographic records as well as DOIs which enable unique and persistent identification of digital objects. By pointing directly to the URLs where the resources are, e.g. the assigned readings on WebCT, students are connected with the relevant learning resources with just a few clicks. For more details click here or contact Christina Chau lbcwchau@inet.polyu.edu.hk Tel: 2766-6872.



10. The number one mistake that people make when using presentation software such as PowerPoint is that they put too much information on their slides, when in fact less is more. Some basic rules for designing PowerPoint slides are:
  The number one mistake that people make when using presentation software such as PowerPoint is that they put too much information on their slides, when in fact less is more. Some basic rules for designing PowerPoint slides are:
  • keep the content simple;
  • use a large, simple font such as Arial for readability;
  • use a consistent theme throughout your presentation;
  • make sure the background to the slides contrasts well with the text colour so students can read what's on the slide;
  • have 6-8 lines of text per slide - this means you need to keep bullet points short;
  • don't be afraid to have empty space on a slide - you can use graphics to reinforce or emphasise your message, but too much clutter detracts from what you are trying to say;
  • avoid animations or audio that have nothing to do with the presentation as they detract from the principle message.
It is also a good idea to spend some time using the slide sorter to make sure that your presentation flows properly. Remember, planning is important with all teaching activities, and PowerPoints for lectures are no exception to this rule.



11. When providing students with online tests using multiple-choice question (MCQ) format, the quality of the feedback provided for each question is critical to how useful the test is as a learning tool.
  When providing students with online tests using multiple-choice question (MCQ) format, the quality of the feedback provided for each question is critical to how useful the test is as a learning tool. The seven principles of good feedback practice for MCQ tests described by David Nicol of the University of Strathclyde are that it:
  • helps clarify what good performance is (goals, criteria, standards);
  • facilitates the development of self-assessment and reflection in learning;
  • delivers high-quality information to students about their learning;
  • encourages teacher and peer dialogue around learning;
  • encourages positive motivational beliefs and self-esteem;
  • provides opportunities to close the gap between current and desired performance;
  • provides information to teachers that be used to help shape teaching (pg. 55).
So, for online MCQ tests to be effective learning tools requires the use of quality feedback and the integration of these tests with other aspects of the course such as a discussion forum or classroom activities.



If you need assistance with using eLearning in your teaching or would like to find out more please visit the eLDSS website or contact the 3C Project Team directly.
 
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