Implementing a blended learning strategy

While educators will usually put a lot of thought into the content of a blended learning course, they often do not consider how they will implement their new teaching strategy or what happens after the course has been developed.  No matter how well-designed a blended learning course is, it will not fulfill the learning outcomes if staff or students do not have the necessary equipment or skills to complete it.  While we generally associate implementation with the latter stages of the DADDIE model, many of the factors it comprises need to be considered much earlier in the design process to ensure that your strategy is feasible.

In order to successfully implement a blended learning strategy for your course you will need to ensure that anyone teaching on or facilitating the course is confident with any tools being used and that students are provided with the necessary training and support.  Tasks that may need to be completed during this phase include:

• Reserving classrooms and other physical resources;
• Ensuring all materials for tutors, such as lesson plans and marking guides, are ready;
• Checking that all resources listed on the Scheme of Work are available via the VLE and can be easily located;
• Testing activities such as quizzes and assignment submission areas;
• Preparing any additional guides for learners or tutors;
• Delivering the course content and noting any deviations from the Scheme of Work.

There are four critical issues that you will need to consider to ensure that you can successfully implement your blended learning strategy: infrastructure, integration, training and support.  The short animated video below provides an overview each of these:

Infrastructure

One of the first things you will need to check is that you have the correct infrastructure in place to support your blended learning strategy.  For classroom-based activities, do you have the necessary equipment and resources?  Do you need audio-visual equipment such as microphones or projectors?  If you are planning to use mobile devices, you will need to check that the wifi signal strength is adequate and that users are able to connect their devices easily.  And think about the layout of your classroom – a flexible teaching space where furniture can easily be moved and there are sufficient screens and sockets or network access points can help to facilitate more active learning.

Integration

Next you will need to check the integration of your online activities with other systems such as your virtual learning environment (VLE), especially if you are using external applications.  Can users easily access your blended learning resources inside and outside the classroom and track their progress through the course?  If your learners will be using mobile devices, check to see if there is a free app that they can download so that they can study on the go.  You will need to check all links and test any activities, quizzes or assessments before going live, especially if there have been recent updates to software.  Remember to view your resources on a range of devices and using different browsers as some applications work better on particular browsers and resources can appear different on smaller screens.

Training

An important part of the implementation phase is ensuring that you have the necessary skills to teach online and providing training for any other tutors who will be delivering parts of the course.  A common misconception is that teaching online is the same as teaching in a classroom but e-tutors require a different skill set.  You will need to check that everyone can use the equipment and software and know how to encourage learners to engage online.  In addition, tutors and students will need to be aware of the principles of online safety and digital citizenship if the experience is to be a harmonious one for all.  Agreeing a set of ‘group rules’ can be a useful ice-breaker for a blended course and help to set the tone for any online discussions or activities.

Support

As well as initial training, it is important to continue providing support to learners and colleagues, online and offline throughout the course.  Training and support can be delivered through induction sessions and workshops to help staff and students acquire the necessary skills to make the most of blended learning.  In addition, guides and handbooks for equipment and systems that users can refer to when needed should be made available and discussion forums can be used for announcements or FAQs.  Regular communications through forums, email or text messages are vital for building a sense of community and encouraging feedback from stakeholders.  Making information available via a range of media will ensure that everybody can access it and key messages are reinforced.

While careful planning is key to implementing your blended learning strategy, remember that you need to keep an element of flexibility to adapt to learners’ needs or to changes in infrastructure or systems.  Where possible, learners should have the option to complete an online activity offline, for example by being able to download resources for offline viewing or printing.  Even if you have a comprehensive implementation plan, it is always wise to expect the unexpected and have a contingency plan in case of an equipment or network failure which could result in an online activity having to be abandoned.  Afterall, the main advantage of a blended learning strategy is having the best of both worlds!