Lessons Learned From a Faculty Learning Community on Blended Learning
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A faculty learning community (FLC) comprised of six professors from different disciplines was formed to study and teach blended learning courses. The FLC found that blended learning experiences varied by discipline, possibly due to differences between students or instructors. The FLC also found that FLCs are an effective form of professional development when faculty receive helpful advice on best practices and support during challenges, but are less effective without ongoing dialogue or adequate facilitation.
Lessons Learned From a Faculty Learning Community on Blended Learning
- 1. Lessons Learned From a Faculty Learning Community on Blended Learning David Wicks Associate Professor Chair of MEd in Digital Educa?on Leadership SeaBle Pacific University Email: dwicks@spu.edu TwiBer: @drdavidwicks 7th Annual Interna?onal Symposium on Emerging Technologies for Online Learning (2014) #et4online
- 2. Abstract A faculty learning community (FLC) comprised of six professors represen?ng different disciplines was formed in 2011 to study, develop, and teach blended learning courses. As part of this project, we sought to evaluate the efficacy of blended learning on faculty (efficiency, sa?sfac?on) using interview ques?ons designed by Garrison and Vaughan (2011) and students (access, learning effec?veness, sa?sfac?on) through survey responses including the Community of Inquiry (CoI) survey (Swan, et al., 2008). This study found evidence that student percep?ons of the CoI may be useful in predic?ng differences in students' blended learning experiences. The study also found that perceived differences in blended learning experiences varied by discipline. This difference may be a result of differences between students, such as their age, or differences between instructors. A second research outcome was that FLCs are a useful form of professional development when correctly implemented. For example, faculty benefit from par?cipa?on in an FLC when they receive helpful advice on promising prac?ces and encouragement when experiencing instruc?onal or technical challenges. On the other hand, FLCs are less effec?ve when there is a lack of dialogue between mee?ngs or when a facilitator does not provide adequate prepara?on for face-‐to-‐face mee?ngs. During our presenta?on we will share both faculty and student findings from our study. We will engage our audience by asking them to share promising prac?ces for blended learning classrooms and professional development for blended learning instructors. Cox, M. D. (2004). Introduc?on to Faculty Learning Communi?es. New Direc)ons for Teaching and Learning, 5–23. Garrison, D. R., & Vaughan, N. D. (2011). Blended Learning in Higher Educa)on. San Francisco: Jossey-‐Bass. Swan, K., Richardson, J. C., Ice, P., Garrison, D. R., Cleveland-‐Innes, M., & Arbaugh, J. B. (2008). Valida?ng a measurement tool of presence in online communi?es of inquiry. e-‐Mentor, 24(2), 1-‐12.
- 3. Objec?ves • Describe sehng • Explain methods • Share findings from study • Share lessons learned • Explore your ideas
- 5. Faculty Learning Community • Why? – Workshops & informal training are common but may not be enough – FLC may be more effec?ve for deep understanding • Define – Designated groups of interdisciplinary faculty that work together on a yearlong collabora?ve project around a specific topic related to teaching and learning (Cox, 2004)
- 6. SPU FLC Plan Faculty technology survey Determined need Approval from administra?on Recruit faculty – 3 ques?ons Select members & honorarium Meet and agree on plan (Team Charter) Meet regularly Learn together Conduct study Share findings
- 7. Kevin Bolding, Electrical Engineering Erla Champ-‐Gibson, Nursing Baine Cra<, Psychology Kris Gri?er, Curriculum & InstrucBon Geri Mason, Economics David Wicks, InstrucBonal Technology Blended Learning FLC
- 8. Blended Learning Community Goals 1. Increase dynamic learning and interac?on in the classroom in exchange for seat ?me 2. Explore disciplinary boundaries for applying blended learning 3. Build a set of promising prac?ces for implemen?ng blended e-‐learning
- 10. Methods • Materials – Demographic Ques?onnaire – Blended Course Student Survey • Garrison & Vaughan (2008) – Community of Inquiry Survey • Swan, et al (2008) • Procedure – Tradi?onal, Face-‐to-‐Face Format – Blended Course Format • 70/30, face-‐to-‐face/online – Measures given during the final week of classes
- 11. F O Course Blend Students Techniques F O F O F O F O F O Impression 5 students Recorded Screencasts Blogs Online Quiz Student video Disc. Groups Experiments + +
- 12. Findings • Faculty benefit from par?cipa?on in FLC by receiving helpful advice on promising prac?ces. • Faculty benefit from par?cipa?on in FLC by receiving encouragement from peers when experiencing challenges within their blended courses. • FLCs are less successful when there is a lack of dialogue between mee?ngs or when the facilitator does not provide adequate prepara?on for face-‐to-‐face mee?ngs. • CoI is predica?ve of students’ experiences in blended courses. • By working to facilitate a CoI within blended courses, instructors should see an increase in student sa?sfac?on within the blended course. • Differences in the student’s experience in blended learning courses vary depending on the discipline of the course.
- 13. Lessons Learned • Always allow ?me for sharing in mee?ngs • Mix required and discovered readings • Use blog to reflect publicly on progress • Mix face-‐to-‐face and web conferences to meet more than once a month • Use incen?ve to encourage par?cipa?on • Conference presenta?ons and publishing mo?vate interest and par?cipa?on
- 14. Your ideas • Promising prac?ces for blended learning classrooms • Professional development for blended learning instructors
- 15. Comments or Ques?ons? David Wicks, EdD Associate Professor Chair, MEd in Digital Educa?on Leadership School of Educa?on SeaBle Pacific University dwicks@spu.edu hBp://spu.edu/soe hBp://davidwicks.org 15