Preparing for blended e-learning

Blended and online learning skills are rapidly becoming essential for effective teaching and learning in universities and colleges. Covering theory where useful but maintainingnbsp;an emphasis on practice, this book provides teachers and lecturers with an accessible introduction to e-learning.

Beginning by exploring the meaning of 'e-learning', it supports tutors in identifying how they plan to use technology to support courses thatnbsp;blend online and face-to-face interactions. Illustrated by a range of case of studies, the book covers:

designing quality, appropriate effective and online learning efficient and sustainable e-learning activity providing appropriate feedback to learners devising student activities and sourcing learning resources managing online and offline interactions

Packed with practical advice and ideas, this book provides the core skills and knowledge that teachers in HE and FE need when starting out and further developing their teachingnbsp;course design fornbsp;blended and online learning.

Author Notes

Allison Littlejohn is the Chair in Learning Technology and Director of the Caledonian Academy at Glasgow Caledonian University, UK
Chris Pegler is a lecturer and researcher into educational technology at The Open University, UK

List of figures	p. ix
List of tables	p. xi
List of examples	p. xiii
Series editors' foreword	p. xv
Acknowledgements	p. xvii
Introduction	p. 1
The art of blending	p. 1
The potential of blending	p. 2
The problems with blending	p. 3
1 What is blended e-learning?	p. 9
Where did e-learning come from?	p. 11
Definition of e-learning	p. 16
Educational and not so educational e-drivers	p. 17
Drivers to adopt e-learning	p. 17
e-Learning in online, conventional and blended courses	p. 24
The challenges of designing blended e-learning	p. 27
2 Different approaches to blended e-learning	p. 29
Blending in chunks	p. 30
Why blend at all?	p. 31
Before choosing an e-learning blend	p. 34
Media and mobile manifestations	p. 40
The significance of student location	p. 43
Informal, work-based and just-in-time blends	p. 45
Is blending bland?	p. 47
3 Devising blended e-learning activities	p. 49
Synchronous or asynchronous?	p. 51
'Looking' at student activity	p. 57
Lurking with intent	p. 59
How am I doing? Providing feedback to students and tutors	p. 61
Assessing online activity	p. 63
Social spaces online	p. 65
Planning for accessibility and usability	p. 67
Blending action and interaction online	p. 69
4 Documenting e-learning blends	p. 70
Finding the finest blend	p. 70
Factors affecting blending	p. 71
What is in the blend?	p. 75
Orchestrating the blend: blending different approaches to teaching	p. 76
Knowing the score: documenting learning and teaching practice	p. 78
The LD_lite planning tool: three into one	p. 82
Problems with blending	p. 89
Framing the problem	p. 93
5 Choosing e-tools for blended activities	p. 94
An abundance of activities?	p. 94
Mapping tasks with tools	p. 96
Types of e-tools	p. 99
Trends in the use of e-tools	p. 101
Documenting activities using LD_lite	p. 104
Blending old and new	p. 132
Getting up to speed with blended learning	p. 132
6 Environments to integrate activity blends	p. 134
Problem-based learning: a case for complex blending	p. 134
Electronic learning environments: who is in control?	p. 138
Electronic learning environment tools	p. 138
Commercial electronic learning environment systems	p. 141
Open source electronic learning environment systems	p. 143
Examples of complex blending	p. 146
Documenting complex blends	p. 163
Blending physical and virtual learning spaces	p. 163
Electrifying or encumbering environments?	p. 166
7 Sustainable blended e-learning designs	p. 168
Tactic 1 Sourcing and reusing existing materials	p. 170
Tactic 2 Making your own resources	p. 177
Tactic 3 Repurposing resource materials	p. 179
Tactic 4 Designing courses in small, reusable chunks	p. 180
Tactic 5 Documenting courses within reusable templates	p. 183
Tactic 6 Managing and moving materials	p. 184
Moving and sharing across systems	p. 190
8 Support structures for blended e-learning	p. 192
Supporting blended e-learning: the impact of distance and experience	p. 196
Web-based student support	p. 198
The technical helpdesk	p. 201
Librarians on call	p. 202
Supporting staff to support students in blended e-learning	p. 204
Online peer support	p. 207
Where is student support heading?	p. 209
9 Ethical issues in blended e-learning	p. 211
Computing codes and controls	p. 213
Privacy and confidentiality online	p. 218
Digital rights	p. 221
The ethics of access	p. 223
The implications of teleworking and the 24/7 network	p. 224
Glossary	p. 226
References	p. 235
Index	p. 243

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Author Notes

Table of Contents