(Un)framing online/blended learning: getting the mix right

Paul Prinsloo
University of South Africa (Unisa)
@14prinsp
Presentation @ Framing Online Learning, Faculty of
Education, Stellenbosch University, Stellenbosch,
South Africa, 6 November, 2018
Image credit: https://pixabay.com/en/watercolour-watercolor-paint-ink-2477937/
(Un)framing online/blended
learning: getting the mix right

Acknowledgement
I do not own the copyright of any of the images in this
presentation. I therefore acknowledge the original copyright
and licensing regime of every image used.
This presentation (excluding the images) is licensed
under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International
License.

Image credit: https://www.flickr.com/photos/alexdecable/25028287196
The need for (un)framing
online* learning

1. What is online* learning?
2. What does online* mean in the context of South Africa and the
Global South?
3. Does online* learning presume online* teaching? And does
online* teaching presume online* learning?
4. Who is driving online* learning in our institutions?
5. What is driving online* learning?
6. How are our institutional firewalls and learning management
systems framing online* learning and what does this mean for
un-framing online* learning?
(Un)framing online* learning: some
questions

Image credit: https://pixabay.com/en/knight-dolmen-lanyon-quoit-3442900/
Welcome to the land of #Myths

“‘Education is broken,’ and technology will fix it.
It’s an old and tired refrain, but it’s a refrain
nonetheless, repeated over and over”
Audrey Watters (2015) - http://hackeducation.com/2015/05/17/ed-tech-ideology
Image credit: https://pixabay.com/en/room-interior-floor-wall-home-335391/
Myth #1

Image credit: http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/13587160-to-save-everything-click-here
Morozov, E. (2013). To save everything,
click here: The folly of technological
solutionism. Public Affairs
“We must not fixate on what this new
arsenal of digital technologies allows us to
do without first inquiring what is worth
doing.”
#technosolutionism

What is the value proposition of
going online* or blended?
Image credit: https://pixabay.com/en/financial-equalization-help-1015280/

Image credit: https://pixabay.com/en/financial-equalization-help-1015280/
“Lecture capture” you said?
Really?

Source credit: https://www.geteducated.com/elearning-education-blog/online-learning-myth-2-the-cheap-online-college/
Cheaper education for the
masses? It depends…

“Of course, not all
distance education
systems are cheaper than
the alternative,
conventional means of
teaching and training”
(Rumble, 1997, p. 2)
The social advantage of
providing access, must be
considered in terms of
quality and cost

”There is plenty of evidence that open and
distance education can be more cost
efficient than traditional forms of education,
but this is not necessarily the case”
(Rumble, 1997, p. 204; emphasis added)
“… there is very little that can be concluded with
certainty. Policy-makers and institutional leaders should
be aware of lifting solutions off the shelf, hoping that
the economic benefits that may be said to apply in one
socio-economic environment will transfer, along with
the media and the technologies, to another.”
(Rumble, 1997, p. 204)

Myth 3: Everyone has access and
everyone benefits (equally)
Image credit: https://pixabay.com/en/hinged-doors-door-input-old-door-2709566/

World Bank. (2016). Digital dividends. Washington: International Bank for Reconstruction and Development / The
World Bank. Retrieved from http://www.worldbank.org/en/publication/wdr2016
• The spread of digital technologies does not
mean the digital dividends also spread
• 60% of the world’s population is still offline
• “some of the perceived benefits of digital
technologies are offset by emerging risks”
such as “polarised labour markets and rising
inequality” with technology “replacing
routine jobs, forcing many workers to
compete for low-paying jobs” (p. 3).
• The better educated, well connected, and more capable have
received most of the benefits
• “[w]orldwide, some 4 billion people do not have any internet
access, nearly 2 billion do not use a mobile phone, and almost half a
billion live outside areas with a mobile signal” (World Bank, 2016, p. 4).

PewResearch. (2016). Smartphone ownership and Internet usage continues to climb in emerging economies. Retrieved
from http://www.pewglobal.org/2016/02/22/smartphone-ownership-and-internet-usage-continues-to-climb-in-
emerging-economies/

• Across 21 emerging and developing countries - 54% of the population has
access to a smart phone – but access is gendered (males have more
access than females) (2015)
• There is a strong correlation between per capita income and Internet
access and use
• Approximately 52% of 18-34 year olds in South Africa has access to the
Internet, compared to 33% of 35 and older adults. Of the lower income
group, only 22% has access to the Internet compared to 52% of those in
a higher income group
• Only 39% of women in South Africa have access to the Internet compared
with 46% of men (PewResearch, 2016, p. 13).
• With regard to access to smartphones, 46% of 18-34 year olds have
access to a smartphone, compared to 30% of those older, while 50% of
those in a higher income bracket have access to a smartphone compared
to 18% in the lower income bracket (PewResearch, 2016, p. 20).
• The findings in the report regarding changes in the access to and use of
the Internet in South Africa from 2013 to 2015 show very little change.

• General career benefits (both tangible and intangible) are more likely to
be reported by people with higher socioeconomic status and higher levels
of education.
• In developed countries, career builders with low socioeconomic status
and lower levels of education report tangible career benefits at about
the same rate as those with high status and lots of education. And in
developing countries, those with lower levels of socioeconomic status
and education are significantly more likely to report tangible career
benefits.
Source credit: https://hbr.org/2015/09/whos-benefiting-from-moocs-and-why

2018
Littlejohn, A., & Hood, N. (2018). The [Un] Democratisation of Education and Learning. In Reconceptualising
Learning in the Digital Age (pp. 21-34). Springer, Singapore.

The question is not whether
online/distributed learning can make a
difference or whether online/distributed
learning is effective. We need to ask
under what conditions do online and
distributed learning make a difference, to
whom, and what should we consider to
judge its appropriateness and
effectiveness

#InstutionalMyths – Online* teaching and learning
• is (always) cheaper – for students and the institution
• takes less time to design, and once you’ve designed it, it
runs on its own – “drop off and go”
• frees up time for faculty to do ‘other’ things
• does not affect office hours
• is (always) more effective
• means making your teaching materials available online
• is appropriate (and easy) for all disciplines
• means just adding technology to the mix
• take place on/in the Learning Management System (LMS)
• and … if we build it they will come…

Image credit: https://www.flickr.com/photos/alexdecable/25028287196
The need for (un)framing
blended learning

Image credit: https://pixabay.com/en/eat-salad-cucumbers-food-tomatoes-2834549/
Does blended learning just adding
technology/ online teaching to the mix?

Image credit: https://pixabay.com/en/paint-blending-mixture-white-gold-1622310/
Or, does blended learning mean integrating various
elements into a holistic, and carefully designed
learning journey?

Blending what?
• On-campus/off-campus/online?
• Synchronous (whether on-campus or off-campus but online)
or asynchronous (whether on-campus or off-campus but
online)?
• Including different technologies and social media in
combination with, or separate from the Learning Management
System (LMS)?
• Choice of devices – Bring Your Own Device (BYOD)?
• Teacher-led and/or student-led inquiry/teaching/learning
and/or flipped classrooms?
• Costs – students have already paid for the course and now
they carry the cost for accessing teaching and learning? Are
we now blending costs?

Online learning is “a knot of social, political,
economic and cultural agendas that is riddled
with complications, contradictions and conflicts”
(Selwyn, 2014, p. 6)
Imagecredit:https://pixabay.com/en/tied-up-togetherness-tying-teamwork-1792237/

Page credit: http://er.educause.edu/articles/2017/4/the-rise-of-educational-technology-as-a-sociocultural-and-ideological-phenomenon

“The rise of edtech is underpinned by ideology: edtech is
financially driven, adheres to privatization of longstanding
public structures, desires automated or pre-packaged
contents and processes, and envisions technology as a
solution in and of itself” (emphasis added)
“…edtech programs should foster an understanding of the
ideological, social, political, and economic contexts that
surround use of these technologies. Such a need is only
increasing; while edtech programs should continue to
prepare individuals to design, develop, evaluate, implement,
and manage edtech and associated instructional practices,
we cannot ignore that fact that this technology is not
neutral, politically or ideologically” (emphasis added)
Veletsianos, G. (2017). http://er.educause.edu/articles/2017/4/the-rise-of-educational-technology-as-a-sociocultural-and-ideological-
phenomenon

Distance education courses
Online courses
A/Synchronous online courses
Online programs
Blended/hybrid courses
[Not-for]Credit courses Online contract training
MOOCs and all its varieties
Image credit: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:PikiWiki_Israel_35547_Birds_on_a_Wire_2.JPG
So how do we define online*
teaching and learning?

Page credit: https://www.tonybates.ca/2017/04/25/what-is-online-learning-seeking-definition/
2017
What is online learning? Seeking definition

Distance education courses. Distance education courses are those
where no classes are held on campus – all instruction is conducted
at a distance. Distance education courses may use a variety of
delivery methods, such as print-based, video/audio-conferencing,
as well as internet-based.
Online courses. A form of distance education where the primary
delivery mechanism is via the internet. These could be delivered
synchronously or asynchronously. All instruction is conducted at a
distance.
Synchronous online courses. Courses where students need to
participate at the same time as an instructor, but at a separate
location other than an institutional campus. These courses may be
delivered by video conferencing, web conferencing, audio
conferencing, etc.

Asynchronous courses. Courses where students are not required
to participate in any sessions at the same time as the instructor.
These may be print-based courses, or online courses using a
learning management system, for instance.[For the purposes of
this survey] we wish to exclude inter-campus delivery where
students are required to attend a different campus from the
instructor. However, we wish to include delivery via the internet or
other distance technologies to small learning centres in remote
areas.
Online programs. A for-credit program that can be completed
entirely by taking online courses, without the need for any on-
campus classes. These could be delivered synchronously or
asynchronously.

Blended/hybrid courses. These are courses designed to combine
both online and face-to-face teaching in any combination. For the
purposes of this questionnaire, we are interested in those courses
where some, but not all, of the face-to-face teaching has been
replaced by online study.
Credit courses. These are courses that lead to institutional credits
(degrees, diplomas, etc.). We wish to include information on all
credit online courses, whether they are managed by a central
service or by individual departments or by Continuing Studies. [For
the purpose of this survey, the focus is primarily on online and
distance courses and programs for credit].
Online contract training. These are online training programs that
may or may not be for credit recognition but are designed to meet
a particular industry or training need.

MOOCs. These are massive, open, online courses. The key
features are:
• No fee (except possibly for an end of course certificate),
• The courses are open to anyone: there is no requirement for
prior academic qualifications in order to take the course,
• The courses are not for credit.

Source credit: https://www.gov.za/sites/default/files/37229_gon11.pdf

The Department will also encourage all
universities to expand online and blended
learning as a way to offer niche programmes
(p. 9; emphasis added)
So, online and blended learning are meant
only for niche programmes?
What about online and blended courses?
Source credit: https://www.gov.za/sites/default/files/37229_gon11.pdf

Department of Higher Education and Training. (2014). Policy for the provision of distance education in South African universities in the context of
an integrated post-school system. Retrieved from https://www.gov.za/sites/default/files/37811_gon535.pdf
2014
A South African understanding of the
nuances and possibilities re online*
learning

While the DHET recognises the growing impact of ICT
on the provision of distance education, it is concerned
that increasing use of term such as 'blended’, 'flexible’
and 'mixed’ provision covers to wide arrange of
possibilities and that in the use of such terms, the
unique possibilities and challenges of distance
education provision are often overlooked.
[…] The DHET wishes to retain focus on distance
education provision as a distinct subset of provision

The term 'distance education’ therefore refers
to provision in which students spend 30% or
less of the stated Notional Learning hours in
undergraduate courses at NQF Levels 5 and 6,
and 25% or less in courses at NQF Level and
initial post-graduate courses at NQF Level 8,in
staff-led, face-to-face, campus-based
structured learning activities.

OfflineOnline Fully online
Fully offline
Digitally supported
Internet supported
Internet dependent
Campus-based Blended/hybrid Remote
A
BC
Distance, digitally supported
Distance, fully onlineCampus-based,
fully online

Image credit: https://pixabay.com/en/architectural-industrial-design-482687/
What factors should we consider when designing
[online]* teaching and learning experiences?

The SECTIONS Model
Image credit: https://www.amazon.com/Effective-Teaching-Technology-Higher-
Education/dp/0787960349
• Students: what do we know about them? How appropriate
is our design for them?
• Ease of use and reliability: How easy/reliable is the
technology for both students and faculty?
• Costs: what are the cost implications?
[Also think scale – student: facilitator ratio]
• Teaching and learning: what kind of learning is needed?
What design/approach will serve us (teachers and students)
best? What technologies are appropriate? Disciplinary context?
• Interactivity: what [level of] interactivity is required?
• Organisational issues: Support? Barriers? Requirements?
Buy-in?
• Novelty: How new is this technology?
• Speed: what are the affordances of adopting this technology? Frequent
updates to content/software?

Source credit: https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/pdf/10.3200/CHNG.41.2.30-35

Quality
Access Cost
• The moment you increase access, what happens to quality
and cost?
• When you commit to quality learning experiences, what
happens to cost and access?
• Aiming to keep our costs as low as possible, how does this
impact on access and quality?

Source credit: http://www.irrodl.org/index.php/irrodl/article/view/916

Quality
Access Cost
“[D]istance education can achieve any two of the
following: flexible access, quality learning experience
and cost-effectiveness – but not all three at once”
Kanuka & Brooks, 2010, in Power and Gould-Morven, 2011, p. 23)

Quality
Accessibility Cost-
effectivenessConsidering three stakeholder groups – students, faculty
and administrators – who values which aspect the most
and how does this impact on other stakeholders?

Source credit: https://www.slideshare.net/eLearnCenter/anderson-getting-the-mix-right

Student
TeacherContent
Student - Student
Teacher - TeacherContent - Content
Content - Teacher
Deep and
meaningful
learning
Anderson, T., & Garrison, D. R. (1998). Learning in a networked world: New roles and responsibilties.
In Distance Learners in Higher Education: Institutional responses for quality outcomes. Madison, Wi.:
Atwood.
1998

Social Presence:
Interaction with peers
Teaching Presence:
Interaction with
instructor/teacher
Cognitive Presence:
Interaction with
content
Learning Environment
EFFECTIVE
LEARNING
Setting Climate Selecting Content
Supporting Discourse
Adapted from Garrison, D. R., Anderson, T., & Archer, W. Critical inquiry in a text-based environment:
Computer conferencing in higher education. The Internet and Higher Education, 2(2-3), 1-19, 2000
2000

How much interaction is (really) needed for
effective (online*) learning? How does the
amount of interaction impact on the quality
and cost?
2003

Source credit: https://auspace.athabascau.ca/handle/2149/3185
2010

Image credit:
https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Low.cost.carrier.easyjet.arp.jpg Image credit: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Emirates_(airline)
Flying low cost but getting to your
destination or flying first class with all the
bells and whistles?

How do we achieve a balance between
what are the essential elements in the
design and delivery of online/distributed
learning courses and those elements that
are extra/nice-to-have?
What will good practice in
online/distributed/distance education
provision look like?

Image location: https://scontent-jnb1-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t1.0-
9/18620492_1328081900605928_6200516404990980799_n.jpg?oh=ff7892acbecfcff7c1a00a72c1d3796f&oe=59A86652
Under what conditions will
online/distributed learning be truly
liberating?

Quality
Accessibility Cost-
effectiveness
Ethics
Social justice
4

THANK YOU
Paul Prinsloo (Prof)
Research Professor in Open Distance Learning (ODL)
College of Economic and Management Sciences, Samuel Pauw
Building, Office 5-21, P.O. Box 392
Unisa, 0003, Republic of South Africa
T: +27 (0) 12 433 4719 (office)
prinsp@unisa.ac.za
Skype: paul.prinsloo59
Personal blog:
http://opendistanceteachingandlearning.wordpress.com
Twitter profile: @14prinsp

(Un)framing online/blended learning: getting the mix right

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