How to tell if your blended course is a success or flop
You've probably been in a class that was
so terrible, you had to ask yourself, "How did I end up here?" or
maybe your designed a course that was a total bust. It would be helpful to
identify certain "red flags" during the course that would help the
instructor and students change course or modify the course.
So, what makes a blended learning course
good or bad?
They are the usual measures such as
unbalanced face-to-face and online sessions, wayward students, and technology
malfunctions.
A course slated as "blended"
should include both online and face-to-face components. The balance should also
be determined before the course begins as a way of setting student
expectations. In most cases the online component is seen as an add-on to
traditional face-to-face instruction. A good blended course should treat the
online component as an integral part of the course with the same seriousness
and rigor as the face-to-face component.
A good blended course should allow for
flexibility and minor modifications to cater to the student needs. These
changes may be necessary to accommodate students experiencing technology
difficulties and other unforeseen issues.
The "course and a half" workload
is another area of importance. Students may feel over burdened by the additional
work allocated to the online component. Balancing the workload should be a
course design priority.
In conclusion, remember to put enough
emphasis on course design, whether you are designing a new blended course,
converting a traditional course into a blended course, or simply reevaluating
an existing blended course. Bad design will only result in bad courses.
By Charles Wachira
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