Blended / Hybrid Teaching

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I recently read an essay titled "Embracing distance education in a blended learning model: challenges and prospects" by Jill W. Fresen. Link here. (Distance Education; 2018, Vol. 39 Issue 2, p224-240, 17p) The article examines the TEL (technology enhanced learning) models at both the University of Pretoria (South Africa) and the University of Oxford (England). Fresen offers her analysis of "critical success factors to promote quality web-supported learning."

Her proposed six essentials are :

1. Institutional factors (e.g., technology strategy, student entry into courses, programme evaluation)2. Technology factors (e.g., reliability, availability, accessibility, support)3. Lecturer factors (e.g., interaction, provision of feedback, professional development)4. Student factors (e.g., time management, self-directed learning, communication)5. Instructional design factors (e.g., layout and presentation, use of media, learning principles)6. Pedagogical factors (e.g., learning outcomes, assessment strategies, self-reflection).

At first, these 6 points seem pretty basic, but upon deeper consideration, one can see why bybrid/blended teaching is difficult to successfully implement. That is a lot of factors that have the potential for total upheaval. Everything could go right, but if you have a bunch of young students with little parental supervision and little time management skills, then the whole thing goes to pot. 

And let's face it, unsupervised teens are becoming a more and more likely scenario in a modern world where kids are connected to their devices 9 hours a day. How much of that time do you think they are really doing homework? Upon hearing my sixteen-year-old daughter tell our family doctor that she spends 6 hours per day on her phone, I am praying that some of it is spent doing something productive.

Oxford University's blended teaching model was more intriguing to me after reading here about UVU President -- Matthew Holland's recent collaboration with them. UVU is an international name for blended/hybrid teaching. I feel like I have learned a lot about combining technology with instruction and classroom management as a student observing professors who have struck a great balance with the two.

I want to be like my professors who were successful with the blending. I would like to become a master of the 6 factors outlined by Fresen above, including mentoring my students for lifelong time management and self-directed learning. I hope to start with my own kids at home very soon. I believe that this factor alone will make all the difference in their quality of lifelong education.

I don't want to be at odds with my students fighting against their screen time. I want to be the person that inspires their screen time into a more productive, engaging, and educational experience.