Best

 Practice  Guide  
 
 
Section  1:    Pre-­planning  Strategies  
 
1. Is  Converting  the  Program  Necessary?  
a. A  series  of  questions  (Appendix  1)  has  been  created  to  guide  the  process  of  
determining  if  the  program  can  meet  the  stated  goals  without  changing  to  a  
blended  approach.    
b. If  it  is  determine  that  the  current  program  cannot  meet  the  stated  goals,  answer  
to  the  questions  will  inform  the  design  of  the  blended  approach.  
 
2. Instructor  Issues  to  Consider  
a. Do  I  have  the  training  and  interest  to  redesign  and  deliver  this  course  in  a  
blended  format?  
b. Are  you  aware  of  how  your  current  teaching  experiences  and  preferences  will  
positively  and  negatively  impact  teaching  in  the  new  blended  format?  
c. What  training  do  I  need  to  acquire  before  changing  to  the  new  blended  format?  
d. How  much  external  support  to  effectively  change  and  deliver  this  course?  
 
3. Student  Issue  to  Consider  
a. General  Ability    
i. Are  the  students  ready  to  assume  more  responsibility  for  the  learning?  
b. Prior  Knowledge    
i. Will  the  new  instructional  format(s)  interact  with  the  student’s  prior  
knowledge  in  a  way  that  creates  boredom  or  frustration?      
c. Learning  Style  
i. Do  the  planned  instructional  changes  fit  with  the  learning  styles  of  the  
students  in  your  class?  
d. Time  for  Class  
i. Do  students  have  the  time  to  allocate  to  the  new  instructional  and  
learning  requirements?    Clearly  stated  the  need  for  8-­‐10  hours  of  
involvement  per  week  seems  appropriate.    
e. Attendance  and  Class  Participation  
i. How  will  the  synchronous  and  asynchronous  formats  be  impact  
attendance  and  participation?    Students  must  know  their  responsibility  
for  attendance  and  participation  and  this  should  be  provided  early  and  
often.  
 
 
4. Technology  Issues  to  Consider  
a. Three  major  technology  issues  are  identified  here  without  elaboration  because  
each  issue  is  integrated  into  other  sections  below:  1)  Equipment  requirements,  
2)  Technical  know-­‐how,  and  3)  Technical  difficulties  
 
 
Section  2:    The  New  Role  as  Facilitator  in  a  Distance-­Learning  Environment?  
 
1. Move  from  dispenser  of  knowledge  to  facilitation  of  learning  
a. In  the  new  blended  learning  format,  students  will  not  rely  on  information  to  be  
provided.    The  instructor  will  have  to  learn  how  and  when  to  provide  direct  
instruction,  opportunities  for  clarifying  information,  and  opportunities  to  guide  
the  students  through  applied  learning  exercises.  
 
2. Manage  the  content  and  technology  in  new  ways  
a. Content  must  be  provided  in  new  and  different  formats  and  posted  for  easy  
consumption  on  the  web.    It  was  stated  that  all  of  the  materials  would  be  posted  
on  a  server  for  24  hour  access.    If  so,  students  must  have  the  technological  
capabilities  to  access  the  information  and  know  how  to  access  it.  
b. Instructors  must  be  more  competent  about  the  technology  needed  for  the  new  
blended  approach  and  be  able  to  anticipate  technological  challenges  the  
students  may  encounter.  
 
3. Must  facilitate  student  engagement  in  the  new  learning  activities  
a. The  instructor  must  take  on  the  responsibility  of  monitoring  student  
participation,  checking  in  with  students  who  are  not  participating,  and  assisting  
students  in  resolving  challenges  to  participation.  
 
 
Section  3:    Encouraging  Student  Communication  
 
1. Clearly  Establish  Expectation  for  Communication  
a. Clearly  state  the  expectation  and  the  role  communication  will  play  in  the  
student’s  learning  and  final  grade.  
b. State  these  expectations  at  least  three  times  in  three  different  communication  
forms  (i.e.,  syllabus,  e-­‐mail,  discussion  post)  
 
2. Make  Communication  Meaningful  
a. Clearly  state  the  purpose  or  meaning  of  the  different  types  of  communications  
required  in  the  course.  
b. Find  opportunities  to  connect  communication  to  student  interest  or  a  specific  
course  activity.  
c. Introduce  communication  to  small  groups  to  build  familiar  and  community  
within  the  class.  
 
3. Remove  Barriers  to  Communication  
a. Identify  technological  or  student  based  barriers  that  may  limit  the  quantity  or  
quality  of  student  communication.  
b. Showcase  (via  e-­‐mail  or  public  posting)  students  who  demonstrate  the  highest  
level  of  communication.  
 
 
Appendix  I  
 
To  clearly  define  the  problem,  the  Instructional  Designer  (ID)  should  work  with  the  trainer  as  
an  SME  to  collect  pertinent  data.    Information  gained  for  the  following  questions  and  tasks  will  
inform  the  design  of  the  blended  learning  format.  
 
 
1. Identify  the  role  communication  plays  in  achieving  the  stated  learning  outcomes.  
 
2. Define  quality  of  communication  
 
3. Create  a  rubric  that  measures  the  different  levels  of  quality  communications  
 
4. Measure  the  current  quality  of  communication  using  the  rubric.  
 
5. Use  the  measurement  data  to  determine  how    
 
6. Evaluate  student  proposed  use  of  the  new  blended  delivery  model.  
 
a. Ask  students  if  they  will  participate  more  across  the  various  learning  activities.  
 
b. Ask  student  if  they  have  barriers  to  participating  across  the  various  learning  
activities.  
 
c. Ask  students  about  their  confidence  in  using  the  technology  needed  to  
participate  in  the  various  learning  activities.