BlendKit

I chose this article as it relates well to the ch 5 discussion regarding quality in blended courses.

Beth - so interested to see that you chose this article!! I participated in this study as the Quality Matters trainer. So the two groups (short training, long training) worked with me to learn how to apply QM to improve their courses. We have been Quality Matters subscribers for 6 years and incorporate it into all the training and development of online courses.

I chose this link for ch 4 because it provides a (short) list of some online technologies currently available and provides tutorials to learn to use them.

I chose this link for ch 4 because it provides a (short) list of some online technologies currently available and provides tutorials to learn to use them.

Thanks, Beth - I like this site!!! Especially the first YouTube on how to create good PPTs.

I feel strongly that blended learning should focus on formative assessment since face to face time is reduced.

This is a description of the different blended learning models. It lists 6 in total. An interesting read with good links to more information

An article on the benefits of Blended Learning from teachthought.com It lists 4 main benefits: 1. Enhanced Communication Skills 2. Increased Digital Fluency 3. Expanded Networking 4. Strengthened Professionalism

by Thomas Stanley, Project Learning LLC Ideas for Creating an Interactive Blended Learning Experience There are, sometimes frustratingly, a number of ways to teach in the online world. Some programs are credit retrieval, others are expanded correspondence courses, and still others ask the student to do some thematic activities.

Interesting resource to extend assessment options, how to create successful assessments and rubrics, and provides some more resources for those thinking about types of blended learning assessments for courses.

One of the most neglected areas of online learning is the skills of online instructors. Like face-to-face instructors, online instructors need strong formation in content, instruction and assessment. But since they are teaching through technology, they also need formation in other areas (managing online learners, technology skills).

Mentioned in one of the BlendKit forums but nice resource to revisit. 4 parts with reflection for students, teachers, principals and this one whcih is a general taxonomy of reflection based on Bloom's

Mentioned in one of the forums with ideas of what to do in Twitter. I still can't get my head round the value of Twitter!

This is one of the contributing articles to week 4 readings but worth noting here. And definitely worth reading in full...

Looks at learning theories and how they relate to design for online learning - behaviourism, cognitivism, constructivism Also liked the section on deeper learning principles

This link provided clear and organized information that we can use to organize the content and types of our course activities. It added another layer of information to what was already provided by the course. It seems to prove that when you read about the same topic but coming from different sources, the learning process is facilitated. Obviously, it takes more time but unless I'm sure of what I'm doing I like to prepare myself before jumping in to our own activities. Are you guys experiencing difficulties getting started on the DIY activities? I am taking forever...! But, in the end, I know that the acquired knowledge acquired by doing the project will prove to be more satisfactory and productive than just reading about it...Thanks to everyone who posted these links!

Great resource on the top 10 drivers of blended learning with resources and ideas on how to plan and implement and BL course.

Blended learning is a diverse and expanding area of design and inquiry that combines face-to-face and online modalities. As blended learning research matures, numerous voices enter the conversation. This study begins the search for the center of this emerging area of study by finding the most cited scholarship on blended learning.

Great pdf to share

I recently remembered this article published in The Chronicle of Higher Ed a few years ago. It speaks volumes about some pros and cons (mostly pros) of using technologies like Twitter, online office hours, video chat, etc. to connect to super-sized classes. Though I do not have personal experience in teaching courses with this many students, I still think this teacher has found a way to utilize modern technologies to connect to students in new and important ways. He has taken what many of us would consider a nightmare classroom situation (teaching over 2000 students!) and made it into a classroom experience like no other. If you read through the comments, you'll see that his former students say he has changed their lives and that his was the best class they've ever taken. It's amazing to me that he is/was able to create personal connections with so many students using technology. Basically, if this guy can do it with 2,000+ students, then many of us should strongly consider how we might benefit from these technologies in our own hybrid courses.