Blended Learning: First Year Experiences and The Sound of Silence

Blended learning integrates traditional face-to-face instruction with elements of online learning (Thompson, 2011), eliminating barriers of time, place, and situation. Although it can enable high quality interactions between... [ view full abstract ]

Blended learning integrates traditional face-to-face instruction with elements of online learning (Thompson, 2011), eliminating barriers of time, place, and situation. Although it can enable high quality interactions between teachers and students through technology, it is not without its complexities (Jeffrey et al, 2014).

Angelo and Cross (1993) and Race (2005) argue that teachers are heavily dependent on, among others, body language and facial expressions as a means to determine the impressions of student learning. Conversely, any impairment in reading the learners’ body language and facial expressions, for example, in non-face-to-face environments, can negatively impact the learning experiences (Race, 2005).

Web-conferencing tools such as Adobe Connect (2018) enable the formation of a virtual classroom where interaction through voice, webcams, and chat allow content to be presented, discussed, and/or shared. Features of this platform include: customisable meeting rooms, breakout sessions, audio and video conferencing, recordings, screen and document sharing, notes, chats, whiteboards, polling, and library. These features assist in producing an elaborate though real-world learning environment that allows disparately located learners to engage and learn.

This paper reports on the experiences of two lecturers utilising Adobe Connect in separate modules for the first time. These practical modules on programming and animation theory have been previously taught in a face-to-face context but are now included in a part-time blended programme, 80% of which is delivered online. Classes are delivered two evening per week to approximately 15 students (each session), most of whom are working full-time. The paper will consider the benefits and the limitations of the virtual classroom from the teacher’s perspective. In particular, it will outline some simple techniques used to counter challenges in a number of aspects of the virtual classroom experience such as feedback and interaction, teaching approaches, body language and facial expressions, online activities, “wait time” and “think time”.

References

Adobe Connect (2018) [online], available: http://www.adobeconnect.com [accessed 23 April 2018].

Angelo, T. A. and Cross, K. P. (1993) Classroom Assessment Techniques, 2nd ed., San Francisco: Jossey-Bass Publishers.

Jeffrey, L. M., Milne, J., Suddaby. G., & Higgins, A. (2014) Blended learning: How teachers balance the blend of online and classroom components. Journal of Information Technology Education: Research, 13, pp. 121-140.

Race, P. (2005) Making Learning Happen, London: Sage.

Thompson, K. (2011) 'Understanding Blended Learning' in Thompon, K., ed. BlendKit Reader, Blended Learning in K-12: University of Central Florida.